XM2-3
by Circuit 347
Summary: When a horrible plague strikes Mobius, causing more and more death every day, Sonic and the gang team up with GUN to find a cure. But when Sally, Tails, and Knuckles catch this virus, will Sonic find the cure fast enough to save his loved ones? Sonally, Shadouge, Tailsicole, OCs, and Christian setiments.
1. Bio Wrath

**Since I'm working on several other stories right now, I don't know how consistent the updates here will be. Plus, I have a life and things to do outside of writing fanfiction.****This will mostly be in Sonic's POV (first person), but there will be interludes with other characters. I've wanted to write a story like this for a while, which may be because I play way too much Plague Inc. I'm just gonna go on with the story instead of describing my gaming habits...**

Eggman's Journal Entry...

Entry 78#. Febuary 21 2020.

I've finally done it! I've developed a deadly virus that will cause the nations of the world to bend to my will.

I call this lovely virus XM2-3. It is airborne and extremely contagious. Both humans and mobians are suspectible hosts.

It works in four stages. The first stage develops around three days after exposure to the virus. The host develops inmsomia. I predict that most cases won't be diagnosed at stage one since inmsomia comes from various causes. The host will be less productive and prone to accidents and slip ups due to the drowsiness.

Three days after that, the host enters stage two and gains red and black rashes all over the body. That is when it's obvious that something is wrong. The rashes are highly infectous and will help the virus be easily spread to another host through air pockets in the rashes.

Three days later, stage three takes place. The virus overrides the brain's neural stem, causing symptoms from paranoia to outright insanity. The host will refuse to cooperate with doctors and is significantly harder to cure.

The last stage is stage four. The host begins to suffer seizures and will become blind. It is during stage four that the host dies.

I have labored for months in my lab without a single break. I haven't attacked Sonic or his pesky friends once. No one has had sight of me. But now I can come out and laugh in Sonic's face as he, his friends and family, and everyone around him dies slowly and painfully.

I have developed a cure, but in order for the World Health Organization (WHO) to get it, the world's governments must wield control of all their countries to me.

If they refuse, the entire globe will suffer my bio wrath!


	2. Only In Africa

Sonic's POV

"Sonic!" Tails snaps, sounding as if _he _were the older one. "That was so reckless!"

"Oh, please," I say casually from where I'm sprawled across the couch. "Eggy hadn't attacked for months. I think the old guy's retiring,"

"That doesn't mean that he wouldn't attack you for stealing his frozen yogurt machine,"

I take another bite of the chocolaty goodness and smirk. "It was worth it,"

"You're such an adrenaline junkie," Tails sighs as he plops down on the couch next to me.

"And you have a fear of fun,"

The TV goes straight from Friends to a news alert on Fox News.

"Hey, Tails," I joke. "It's your news channel,"

Tails steals glance at his two fox tails and glares at me playfully. "Very funny,"

A female mobian cat in a purple pantsuit is sitting at a glass table with a stack of papers in her hand. "This is Kitty Kardel reporting to you live from New York City. We have received reports from the World Health Organization that a new unheard of disease is sweeping through the villages of South Africa. It has not been named and it's symtoms have not been officially identified, although the people affected, around seventy men, women, and children are experiencing inmsomia and red and black rashes all over their bodies. That is all we know at the moment..."

"New disease?" Tails asks. His ears are pricked up the way they usually are when he's worried.

"It's just in Africa," I console. I lean back with my hands on the back of my neck and yawn. "It probably isn't even fatal. Besides, people there deal with diseases and junk all the time. They should be used to it,"

"That sounded kinda racist, Sonic,"

"Maybe so, but I'm too tired to care,"

I end up falling asleep on the couch only to wake up at three thirty in the morning. The TV is still on but muted. Tails is gone, probably in bed or tinkering in his workshop.

The headline on the news reads in bold letters, **New disease named XM2-3 as original hosts develop paranoia, insanity, twelve more reported cases...**

Well, it's only in Africa... right?


	3. Ultimatum

Sonic's POV

The next morning, I get a call from Knuckles saying to come to Angel Island. I leave a note on the kitchen island informing Tails of where I'm going and that there's leftover pizza in the fridge.

Then I use my trusty blue chaos emerald to get to Angel Island via chaos control. At the Master Emerald pedistal, Knuckles is frowning at me.

"Why'd you need me so early in the morning?" I yawn irritability. "It's too early to smash robots and I was having a good dream,"

In that 'good dream', I was making out with my crush, Sally. He really really owes me! After all-

"I got a word from your family in Knothole," Knuckles states solemly. "Apparently, there's this illness going around and your mother caught it,"

"So she has the flu?" I ask. "No biggie,"

"It's not the flu. She can't sleep well and she has these rashes,"

Well, that doesn't sound good... For some reason, my mind snaps back to last night when I was watching TV and heard about that new disease. What was it called... XM something?

"Wait..." I say. "Why'd my folks talk to you and not me?"

"They said they tried but you wouldn't answer your phone," Knuckles explains. "You really need to keep your phone with you,"

"Yeah, yeah," I sigh carelessly as I start to walk away. "Thanks for letting me know about Mom,"

"I wouldn't have to if people could actually reach you,"

When I get back home, Tails is eating leftover pizza on a paper plate and watching TV.

On the screen, Kitty Kardel is making a report. "We come to you with the dire knowledge that the new disease that popped up in Africa, XM2-3 has claimed it's first lives. Five year old Kiyambi, a young boy of South Africa, died just hours ago, followed by his mother that was also infected. Since then, two more people in separate locations have passed away as well. There are reportedly six newly identified cases..."

"You sure we shouldn't be worried?" Tails asks me.

I think of my mother and my stomach turns. I cover it up with a smirk. "Oh, please. It's not like whatever this is can spread to America,"

"Unless an infected person brings it here," Tails points out.

"If they know they're infected, I highly doubt they'll do much traveling,"

"But it still happens. Remember the Spainish conquistadors and how they killed off a bunch of Native Americans with the Spanish Flu?"

"That was before modern medicine," I ruffle Tails's bangs. "You worry too much, kid. I'm gonna head over to Shadow's place. Wanna come?"

"I don't think Shadow likes me," Tails says sadly.

"He likes you way more than me. I'm just going over to annoy him,"

"Have fun, then,"

Tails returns his focus to the news report and I dash out the door. When I get to the lobby of GUN HQ, Shadow and Rouge are scowling at the same news report.

"Hey, guys," I greet. "Whatcha doing?"

"Eggman..." Shadow murmers to no one in particular. "This practically _smells _like his doing,"

"Huh?"

Rouge turns to me. "Eggman has been awfully active lately since XM2-3 came out. He sent GUN a video saying that he had the cure but would only fork it over if the world wielded control to him,"

"That's bogus," I blurt indignantly. "He's probably bluffing,"

Rouge shows me a video on her cell phone and plays it.

Eggman is standing in a dark room with a vial of blue liquid in his hand. "To which ever government this may concern, I'm sure you have noticed the latest outbreak of a new disease, that I have created in my own lab. It is called XM2-3 and is highly contagious. I won't waste time explaining the stages since if you haven't figured them out already, then you probably are doing so now. I can say though that it is fatal to both humans and mobians. I have the cure right here in my little hand," he shakes the vial around, almost mockingly. "But in order for you to get your hands on it, you must give up your power over your country and give to me to be a glorious part of th Eggman Empire! Mwa ha ha ha ha!" Eggman has a quick coughing fit and keeps laughing.

Rouge shuts off the video. "Does he look like he's bluffing?"

I shake my head.

"We'll have to steal that cure," Shadow states.

"I had no idea, Captain Obvious," I retort lightly. Shadow glares coldly enough at me to send the devil himself cowering in a corner and I clamp my mouth shut.

"Sonic, we're kind of busy," Rouge says apologetically. "Can you come back another time,"

"Okay, see ya, Rouge," I reply as I start to walk out. "You too, Faker,"

When I get back to the house, Sally is standing in the living room with Tails.

"Oh, hey Sal," I say, blushing as I remember the dream I had the night before. "Whatcha doing here?"

"You know about XM2-3 right?" she asks.

"Yeah. Apparently, Eggface made it and has a cure,"

"So we're gonna steal it,"

I cock my head to the side. "Isn't GUN gonna do that?"

"And if they fail?" Tails points out.

"Where do we start?" I ask.

"That's what we're figuring out," Sally says. "Both of you meet me at my place tonight. I'll make sure Knuckles and Amy come too,"

Tails and I both nod.

**Sorry if this chapter looks lazy, but I'm tired.**


	4. The Feeling

Sonic's POV

"Okay," Knuckles grumbles from Sal's couch. "What's this about?"

"It's about saving humanity," Sally says simply. She goes to the small kitchenette and pulls a Sprite out of the fridge.

"That's it?"

Amy glares at him and puts her hands on her hips. "Oh, sorry if that's not good enough a reason,"

"Relax, Ames," I coax, not wanting another fight between Knuckles and Amy to break out. "It's just that we save humanity practically every other day,"

"Okay, people," Sally starts. "Let's focus," she pulls out a paper map of the globe and spreads it across the coffee table. "So far, XM2-3 has spread to South Africa and no where else that we know of. Obviously, the World Health Organization is gonna be trying to stop the spread since there is no available cure. GUN is focusing on stealing the cure from Eggman. But Eggman is much smarter than he looks. He has high tech security working miles away from his base and flying in would just give away our position. Therefore, we're gonna have to blend in with his paid mercenaries,"

Sally pulls out a black leather suit with Eggman's logo on the left side of the chest.

"No way am I dressing in that," I argue with my arms crossed.

"We have more options than just this jumpsuit," Amy assures.

"Anyway," Sally continues. "Once we're in the base, we'll split up and look for the cure. If anyone asks questions, say you're one of Eggman's bioengineers. If and when you find the cure, radio me and we'll sneak out of the base. We want to avoid fighting _as much as possible,_" she glares at me. "We'll be dangerously outnumbered, so if you can avoid it, no violence,"

"Aye, captain," I say with a salute. "When's this mission?"

"Tomorrow night," Sally replies. "I suggest you rest up until then,"

After the meeting, Amy went home, Sally went to bed, Knuckles chaos controlled back to Angel Island, Tails went to his workshop, and I took off on a run.

As I speed down the streets of Station Square like it was no one's business, I feel the wind whipping through my quills and my own adrenaline making me high. I feel great except for that little nagging pit in my stomach. You know what it is, that feeling you get when you're afraid something bad is about to happen. I'm dealing with it right now and I don't know why.

Maybe when I get back home, I'll call Mom and check on her.

**I'll just let you know that when I said Sonic was getting high off his own adrenaline, I was using real life fact. Exercise can cause a natural high in your body without any drugs, which I thought was kind of cool when I found out.**


	5. Cancer

Sonic's POV

I lean against the kitchen island, dial Mom's number, and put it to me ear. "Hello?"

There's shuffling and mixed voices for a moment until the voice I recognize as my sister, Sonia's answers. "Sonic?"

"Hey," I start casually. "Can I talk to Mom?"

"Sorry, but she's at the doctor," Sonia says. "Whatever she's come down with isn't anything I've seen before and I'm a med school student,"

"How is she?"

"Bad. She has some rashes and she's not sleeping. She's beginning to act a bit... senile, I guess,"

Remember that bad feeling I had? It's back with a vengeance. What if it's XM2-3? No, that's ridiculous! It's only in Africa.

"Any official diagnosis from the doc?" I ask, feeling uneasy.

"No, but I'll let you know when there is," Sonia replies. "How's Tails?"

"He's doing good. How's Dad and Manic?"

"Dad's all freaked out over Mom being sick, but other than that he's fine. He's afraid she's contagious so he always makes us cover our mouths when around her. Manic's not home because he got caught with marijuana _again_ and Dad sent him to boot camp,"

"And Uncle Chuck?"

"He's been in his workshop day in and day out. No idea why,"

I hear shuffling from Tails's room and a crash, followed by a loud "OW!"

"Sorry, sis," I say quickly. "I gotta go. Love ya,"

Before she can respond, I hang up, set my phone down, and rush into Tails's room.

Tails is sitting on the floor prying a fallen shelf off his right foot. His facial expression in stuck in a grimace and his foot is starting to swell.

"Tails, you okay?" I ask as I pry off the shelf. I lift up the kitsune's foot and examine it. "Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere," Tails groans. "It hurts everywhere,"

"On a scale one to ten, how much does it hurt?"

"Six,"

I set the foot down gently. "It's probably sprained. Let's get you to the couch. I'll get you some ice,"

I help pull Tails up, scolding him when he tries to put weight on his hurt foot. I lead him to the couch and set him there. Then I grab an ice pack from the freezer and hand it to him. Tails utters a quick thanks and puts it to his leg.

"You know, dude," I muse. "You get hurt waaaay too much,"

"I do not," Tails argued.

"Let's see... you ran into a pole five days ago. You stubbed your toe on a chair four days ago. You banged your head on a door frame three days ago. A motorcycle ran over one of your tails two days ago. And yesterday your eyes melted out of your head when you listened to What Does The Fox Say?"

"Ha ha," Tails crossed his arms and pouted.

I leave the TV on for Tails and I take my phone outside to the yard. I dial Shadow's number and wait.

"What do you want, Faker?" Shadow says gruffly. "I'm busy,"

"I just have a question," I state.

"Go on,"

"What are the symtoms of XM2-3?"

Shadow pauses. "You don't think you have it, do you?"

"No, I was just wondering," I lie. "Besides, it's only in Africa,"

"You idiot, haven't you watched the news lately?"

"No, why?"

"It has spread to rural parts of China and America somehow,"

The blood drains from my face. "And the symtoms? Just answer my question, Shads!"

"Inmsomia and rashes at first, but the host slowly goes insane and undergoes blindness and seizures before they... uh, croak,"

No... no no no... NO!

"ThanksShadsBye!" I say louder and quicker than necessary. I dash inside and turn to Tails, who is looking at me in worry.

"Sonic?" he asks hesitantly. "Are you okay? You look pale,"

"I'm okay. I just need to make a trip back to Knothole," I explain. "Tell Sally I can't come to the mission. I have to check up on something,"

"What about me?"

"Sal can watch you. You can't come with me because you're hurt,"

Tails nods reluctantly.

I make a few more calls and pack my backpack full of rings, tin foiled chillidogs, my phone, a jacket, and a bottled water.Then I rush to Station Square's airport and catch a last minute flight to Knothole. I'd run, but that would require running over the ocean which is impossible even for me.

The flight takes four hours of cramped confines and hot flight attendants offering me peanuts, which I decline because I'm not hungry. At this point, I'd throw up anything I ate. I'm just that nervous.

So Mom has it... she has XM2-3. She's going to die. I wonder if the rest of my family knows. I hope they do. I don't wanna be the one to tell them. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it myself.

I don't get it. Mom was always so healthy! She exercises regularly. She's a strict vegan. She has an inherritly strong immune system. She never smokes or drinks. She... she takes care of herself! She doesn't deserve this!

Then again, Sonia once said that cancer can affect anyone, regardless of health. It can just... randomly show up to make your life miserable. Maybe it's like that with XM2-3. Maybe it's just some cancer no one had discovered until now.

Or maybe life is just unfair.


	6. Eggman Interlude

Eggman's Journal. Entry 81#

XM2-3 is spreading from Africa to North America and Asia, thanks to the copies of the virus I implanted myself in people on both continents. My next move will be to infect Greenland since they don't have much contact with the rest of the world.

I also took the liberty of making sure Sonic's mother recieved the virus so that when she dies, I can prey off Sonic's weakness. I can swoop in and use this virus to make his pathetic little life miserable!

I'm currently trying to mutate the virus so that it is also transmissable by blood and skin contact. For now, though, I need to guard the cure. I have no doubt that people are looking for it.

I'll hide it where they least expect.


	7. Reunion

Sonic's POV

As soon as the plane hits land, I dash out, pushing and shoving through the crowd. Heck, I almost forget to pick up my stuff on the way. When I get out of the airport, I speed down the street as a blue blur, taking in the small town in which I grew up. It was so familiar, yet so foreign to me.

I turn through several streets until I skid to a halt at my family's suburban home. The house seems so much bigger and imposition since I was here last. I don't know why... it just does.

I walk up the steps and knock on the door.

Sonia opens it, looking horrible. Her quills are ruffled and her eyes are rimmed with red.

"I take it you missed your last spa day," I tease, trying to sound lighthearted.

"Very funny," she says. Her tone suggests anything but amusement. "If you're here for Mom, she's at the hospital with Dad,"

She can't already be _that _bad, right? "Sonia, about Mom... I think she has-"

Sonia beats me to the punch. "XM2-3. I've been suspicious of that too. A doctor is looking at her right now, so I guess we're about to find out,"

"I'm going to the hospital. I'll be back in a few hours probably,"

"I was just about to go. I'm only here because Mom asked me to get her ipad,"

"Okay. I'll meet you there,"

I speed off without another word. When I get to the hospital, I check in and find out they have Mom in quarentene. A GUN medical professional is looking at her with a hazmat suit.

I can hear and see everything happening through a window. Dad is to my left, completely silent. Manic, who is at my right looks like he's about to burst into tears.

"I thought you were at boot camp," I say to him.

"They let me have temporary leave," Manic replies with a clenched jaw and glazed over stare. "I can't believe this..."

"Me neither... how could this happen, anyway?"

Manic says nothing. In the completely white quarentene, Mom is sitting on a metal table. her purple quills completely blocking her face. She looks twitchy and pale. The rashes on her arms and legs pocking out from her hospital gown are so bright, they're practically mocking me.

The GUN agent is asking her a bunch of questions that don't even seem to pretain to her illness.

"How old are you?"

"Any past medical conditions?"

"What's your nationality?"

"Allergies?"

"What is your sexuality?"

"Do you smoke or drink?"

"Have you ever had excema?"

This goes on for a while until Mom has a bad coughing fit and the GUN agent backs away. "I have all the information needed," He walks out, leaving Mom to herself.

I knock on the glass. "Mom?"

Her ears twitch, but she doesn't respond.

"She's not in her right mind, Sonic," Dad says sullenly. "Be careful what you say to her,"

Mom looks over and gives Dad a smirk. Right then, I wonder if I inherrited that smile (and sometimes facade) from her. "Don't be such a grouch,"

Everyone says I act so much like her. It's only fitting that the mother of the fastest thing alive used to be a race car driver. I have her blazing emerald green eyes and tan muzzle, stomach, and arms (I got my blue fur from Dad). We're both nature lovers and extremely cocky sometimes. We're... like mother like son.

As I realize this, my heart clenches in my chest. I'm losing a part of myself in losing her. For the first time in many years, I'm scared.

As if reading my thoughts, Mom turns her gaze to me. "Ah, it's my little speedster,"

"Hey, Mom," I say casually with a smirk and wave. "How're the doctors treating ya?"

"Better than your Dad when he forgot our anniversary," she replies jockingly. She gives Dad a wink to convey she has no hard feelings.

"Speaking of Dad, has he blown a fuse yet?"

Dad looks a little ticked, but Mom just laughs. "Oh, no. He did come close when they put me in quarentene, those stupid doctors. I tried telling them civilly that I didn't want treatment, but they thought I was 'not of sound mind.' Seriously, you tackle one pedestrian and the bloodhounds come for you,"

I look at Dad with wide eyes. Mom kids like this sometimes, but that crazed look in her eyes has me wondering.


	8. Everything Left Unsaid

Sonic's POV

I end up falling asleep in the hospital lobby on the couch when I'm woke up by my phone buzzing. I sit up groggily and look at the caller ID. It's Sally. She probably wants to tell me off for bolting like that.

I accept the call and put the reciever to my ear, expecting the worst.

"Sonic the Hedgehog!" Sally starts. "This is no time for sudden vacations! I mean, seriously! What the heck? You'd better have a good excuse!"

My Mom is dying. Is _that_ a good excuse?

"Manic needed me to bail him out of jail," I say instead. "I'll be back in two days, probably,"

"Two days?" Sally inquires. "Bailing Manic out of jail shouldn't take that long,"

I lean back against the couch and yawn. "Legal stuff,"

I open my mouth to say more, but I'm cut off by yelling and an alarm going off from somewhere in the hospital. I hope and pray it's not Mom. "Sorry, Sal. I gotta go. Manic's lawyer just threatened to sue the jail,"

"Okay," Sally says in a tone that lets me know she doesn't believe a word I said. "Bye,"

She hangs up. Sonia and Manic run out from the hall into the lobby, looking frenzied.

"Sonic! Come quick!" Sonia yells at me.

I scramble to my feet. "What is it?"

"Mom's having a seizure!" Manic gasps.

My body suddenly becomes alert as my siblings and I bolt down the hall to the window revealing the quarentene.

What I see will probably haunt my nightmares for years. Mom is thrashing around on the floor and screaming at the top of her lungs. A bunch of guys in are in the room bustling around, yelling at each other.

Dad is with us and so is Uncle Chuck. They both look frozen with haunted expressions on their faces.

"Is she okay?" I ask. Then I mentally kick myself. Of course she's not!

"She had minor seizures before this, but now..." Uncle Chuck mutters. He looks at me sadly. "Oh, Sonny Boy, you don't need to see this. Neither do you, Sonia and Manic. You three wait in the lobby,"

"No!" Manic demands. "I'm not leaving our mother!"

"Me neither," Sonia agrees with a determined nod.

"We're staying," I declare. I place my hands on my hips. "Nothing you say will change our minds,"

Mom has more seizures, each more violent and harder to watch. But no one leaves, with the exception of Manic's quick bathroom break.

Around two thirty in the morning, she stops having seizures and just pants heavily, her eyes glazed over.

I can't take it anymore.

"Sonic! No!" Dad screams as I spin dash through the glass into the quarentene. The glass lands all around me, some cutting me or getting tangled in y quills.

The guys in hazmat suits look at me like I'm insane. Maybe I am.

"Kid, get out of here!" one of them orders. "You'll get sick!"

"I don't care," I spit at him. I kneel down next to Mom. She's deathly pale. Her irises are whitish. Her quills are clammy and tangled.

But she still looks like my beautiful mother as she looks at me with a sad smile. "Sonic..."

"I'm here, Mom," I say as tears fill my eyes. I grab her hand. "I'm here,"

"Sonic, there's something I need to tell you," she is cut short by a coughing fit. When she stops, a line of glistening saliva is cascading from the corner of her mouth. I resist the urge to wipe it away. "The virus... it, what is it called?"

"XM2-3," I tell her.

"XM2-3," she repeats. "It's not like other viruses... it... you are..." She trails off.

"I'm what?"

Mom has another coughing fit. It rattles her chest and the noise fills the hospital. I look over at my family from the other side of the glass, all holding their mouths and crying.

She keeps coughing. When her coughing stops, so does her heart.

Right there on the floor, surrounded by shattered glass, GUN agents, and her son, my mother dies.

**Yeah, this chapter was a little dark. But hey. That's how disease works (at least in the movies). Feel free to review! **


	9. Blur

Sonic's POV

I don't remember much of what happened after that. It all happens in a blur.

I remember sobbing on the ground, then being pulled away by the guys in hazmat suits. I remember getting prodded and injected and having blood drawn. I remember hushed whispers and arguing. I remember being put in a taxi and sent home. I remember being asked by Uncle Chuck when I woke up hours later in my old bedroom how much I remember.

"Bits and pieces," I reply groggily. My head hurts from crying and my body feels like lead. "What time is it?"

"Three thirty in the afternoon," Uncle Chuck replies. "You, your Dad, and your siblings kind of crashed," he gives me a sympathetic look. "It was a rough night for everyone,"

"No kidding,"

Uncle Chuck flinches at my cold tone, which I mentally chastise myself for, but he shakes it off and pulls back my bedsheet.

"Ack, Uncle Chuck!" I snap at him.

"You need to face the putside world, Sonny Boy," he says in an authoritive tone. "Besides, your friends are still blowing up your phone with calls and texts,"

"They don't know, do they?"

Uncle Chuck shrugs. "I didn't think it was their business. If you want them to know..."

"I'll tell them later,"

Uncle Chuck walks out and I follow him. In the living room, Sonia is sitting on the floor in front of the coffe table on her lap top while on the phone, speaking rapidly as she tales notes.

"No, Tess! I'm fine," she yells into the reciever. Her arm accidentally knocks over her mug of coffee, but she doesn't even notice. "Yes... yes, the test is Friday... no, I can't come to tonight's study group... Something came up, okay? Stop hounding me..."

Manic is tangled up in a fleece blanket on the love seat, snoring.

Sonia and Manic deal with grief differently. Sonia works her butt off to distract herself and Manic sleeps the day away. I, however... I'm not really sure. I guess I do a mix of both.

Dad is nowhere to be found. I'm assuming he's still asleep and that Uncle Chuck let him sleep because 1. he's a grown man so he can't tell him what to do. 2. he took the worst blow of all of us. He lost his wife, after all.

Uncle Chuck hands me my phone which is currently ringing with a call from Sally. I answer.

"Sonic, what's really going on?" Sally asks. She sounds so much like Mom when she's angry I almost choke up. Sally apparently hears my strangled sob. I hear her exhale. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I lie. I'm startled by how raspy I sound. "It's my allergies,"

"They diagnosed several more XM2-3 cases. Apparently, some woman in America died from it last night,"

GUN already reported it... my mother is a statistic.

"Sonic? You still here?" Sally asks. "You kinda zoned out,"

"I'm coming home," I mutter. "I, uh... just really need to come back..."

"Okay. See ya then,"

I bid my family a quick goodbye. Dad didn't even come out of his room.

I board a plane to Station Square an hour later.


	10. Broken Trust In Authority

Tails's POV

Knuckles paces around the living room, red faced and ranting.

"Where is that stupid hedgehog!" he bellows for the fourteenth time. "What was he thinking, just disappearing with no explanation whatsoever?! He could at least bother to answer everyone's calls! You and Sally have been worried out of your minds!"

"And you haven't?" I ask him. I know good and well that Knuckles cares about Sonic. He pretends not to care about anything other than the Master Emerald. That's just what he does. I believed his act until he ran into a burning building and saved Sonic's life one time. Now I know he has a heart beneath all that hardheadedness. And Knuckles can't stand that.

"I don't care a bit what happens to him!" Knuckles yells. "I just... uh, don't want anything bad to happen to him!"

"Will you quit yelling?" I request as I rub my temples. He's been like this for days and it's giving me a migraine, which didn't help my worrying about Sonic. "You're gonna make the neighbors mad,"

Someone knocked on the door three times. Knuckles, being closest to the door, opened it. Sonic stumbles in, looking absolutely exhautsed and lugging a backpack behind him. His fur is tangled and he has bags under his currently dull green eyes.

"We demand an explanation!" Knuckles yells at him. I expect Sonic to flinch at Knuckles's yelling into his ear, but he doesn't. He just drags himself into his room and shuts the door without a word.

"That was odd," I murmur. I look at Knuckles, feeling my eyes go wide. "I wonder what _that_ was about,"

Knuckles wastes no time before pounding on Sonic's bedroom door. "Sonic! Open up right now or I'll kick the door down! I demamd answers!"

Sonic tells Knuckles to... um, maybe I shouldn't repeat it. It suprises me because Sonic is known to absolutely hate it when people swear. Knuckles groans in frustration and bangs his head on the door.

"Don't stress it," I advise. "He's just in a bad mood. He'll come out eventually,"

After a few minutes, Sally walks in, looking ashen. She has Nicole's handheld in her hand and a girl I don't recognize is trailing behind her with a clipboard.

"Skylar, tell GUN I don't care what they..." I don't catch the rest of what Sally says because she's whispering. The girl nods, rolling her eyes when Sally looks away.

She's an artic fox with ginger colored hair and light blue eyes. She's wearing a blue tank top with a periwinkle jacket exposing her abdomen over it. She's also wearing blue jeans and light purple converse. She's the first fox I've met since my parents disappeared.

The girl says something on the phone, covering her mouth as she does so. Based on her scowl, I highly doubt what she's saying is too nice.

"Guys," Sally says tiredly. "Meet Skylar, my hired assistant and newest Freedom Fighter,"

Skylar looks at us. "Sup. Sally want to talk to you about something important, so I'll be outside," she turns her attention back to her phone call and walks out of the apartment. I can still hear her rapid speaking from here.

"Okay, I just found something out about XM2-3," Sally sighs heavily. She sits down on the couch and fiddles with her handheld containing Nicole. "There are three more cases here in America as well as two more deaths. In China, five people have died and two new cases... This disease... it's spreading quickly. And... and..."

"And what?" Knuckles blurts.

Sally looks up with sad eyes. "The first death in America... that woman, she was Sonic's mother,"

My heart hammers in my chest. No wonder Sonic was so upset. Why didn't he just tell us? Does he not trust us? Does he not trust _me__?_

"That's why he looked so awful when he came back," Knuckles says almost to himself.

"He's back?" Sally asks with wide eyes. Her ears shoot up. Knuckles and I nod. "Where is he?"

"He's in his room," I reply. "I don't think he wants to talk right now,"

"Anyway," Sally continues, anger now gracing her features. "Wanna know what Shadow said is happening to Sonic's mother's body? You probably don't because it's so terrible. I wanna strangle the commander so freaking bad..."

That gets Sonic's attention. He swings his door open and pokes his head out with wide eyes. "What are you talking about?!"

Everyone flinches at Sonic's sudden appearance. Sonic walks out into the living, his movements tense. "Sal, tell me,"

"GUN..." Sally mutters. She avoids his gaze. "They're using your mother's body for experimentation,"

Sonic's first expression is horror, than anger, than full on rage. "HOW DARE THEY?! THE BODY BELONGS TO THE FAMILY! THEY HAVE NO RIGHT!"

Sonic's yelling is even louder than Knuckles. Even Knuckles looks at little scared.

"There is no way we're gonna cooperate with GUN on the cure search," Sally says with a low voice. "We're gonna find it first and rub it in their slimy faces,"

"Are they just doing this with my Mom, or..." Sonic trails off.

"They're doing it to every victim," Sally says. "It's sick. Shadow even considered striking over it. Anyway, we need to get ready for our next move. Eggman has a biological experimentation site in Siberia. If the cure is anywhere, it's there," she turns to everyone. "Meet me at Tails's plane garage tonight and we'll set out,"

Everyone nods.

**Yeah, this chapter was a bit dark with the whole experimentation thing. I wanted to make Sonic and his friends resentful toward GUN to create conflict. It'll pay off later in the story.****Also, Skylar is my OC. You'll see a lot more of her later.**


	11. Eggman Interlude 2

Eggman's journal. Entry #86

I have a confession about the cure. The blue vial I used in my warning video... was a prop! I know, I know, it's hilarious. The blue liquid was actually blueberry Khool Aid. I even had the nerve to drink it afterwards.

Recall how I said that the cure is where everyone would least expect. You can't find it in any sort of base (most of the time). It's right under everyone's noses. But I'm afraid the exact location is far too confidential to list here...

XM2-3 is spreading fast. This morning, I planted it in Rio DeGenaro. So far five people in the city have the virus in a still dormant state. I plan to plant it in Station Square next. Maybe Sonic will catch it!

Speaking of Sonic, his mother has finally died from the virus. I have hoping it would make him vulnerable, but it seems to have taken an opposite direction. Yesterday, he and his friends raided my base in Siberia. I'm beginning to fear the hedghog is seeking vengeance for his mother.

No matter. He won't be able to get past security. Anyway, none of the world governments have caved to my will yet. I just need to give it a little more time.


	12. Crashdown

Sonic's POV

I have to admit it. I haven't been the same since Mom died.

In the days after the raid in Siberia, I didn't get out of my room or eat much. I spent my days lounging around, feeling sorry for myself. I wasn't suprised at how Tails confronted me when I just happened to come out for a drink of water.

"You're starting to scare me, Sonic," he mutters, wrapping his two tails around himself as if by instinct. "You've barely been out of your room in days,"

"Sorry, bud," I say. I cover my guilt at worrying him up with a smirk and ruffle his spiky bangs. "I've just been tired,"

"Because your mother died?"

Well, that is what I call blunt. "Look," I tell him. "There's nothing to worry about. I'm fine,"

"Okay," he sighs. His eyes tell me that he's not as convinced as I'd like him to be. "Your sister's been trying to call you, by the way," he pulls out my cell phone. The screen is littered with notifications of missed calls from Sonia. "Better see what she wants,"

I take the phone from his grasp. "Will do,"

Tails ducks past me to the fridge and I take my phone to our apartment's small balcony. I dial Sonia's number and hold the reciever to my ear. First I hear fuzz, then shuffling and noise in the background before I actually hear Sonia's voice. "Sonic?"

"Hey, sis," I start conversationally. "What's up?"

"You missed Mom's funeral," she says. I expect her to snap at me... but she doesn't. "Where the heck have you been?"

"Didn't you hear? I was on a raid,"

"Your raid was five days ago,"

Crap. "Um..."

"Sonic, I demand an explanation!" Sonia barks. She sounds like Mom whenever she was mad. It stings.

"I've just been tired," I say. "Is that a crime?"

"Oh, so you were too tired to pay respect to your deceased mother?"

I clench my jaw and resist the urge to lash out on her.

Sonia seems to read my mind all the way from Knothole. "Look, just... I don't understand you. Even Manic was there. But that's not what I called to talk about..."

"Then what is it?" I ask impatiently, wanting to end the call as quick as possible to avoid more lecturing.

"Our family is suing GUN," she explains.

I huff. "Serves them right. I heard what they did with Mom's body,"

"And the bodies of other XM2-3 victims. It's sick, isn't it?"

"Yeah,"

"Anyway," she drawls. "We made headlines. Maybe if you paid attention, you would know that everyone is talking about us!"

"What? Why?" I ask. I swear, I feel my ears prick upward.

"Duuuuh! Because of you. The Hero Of Mobius is suing GUN for mishandling the remains of his late mother. Now that is a headline,"

"I'm not suing anybody!" I say quickly. "You guys are. I just happen to support you,"

"You technically are, since it's the family suing and you're part of that respective group," she states. "Anyway, I have to go. I love you, Sonic,"

"I love you too," I say. I feel a lump in my throat, but I swallow it down. I refuse to cry again. "See ya,"

I hang up to see Tails standing behind me with his arms crossed.

"Were you listening in?" I ask him with narrowed eyes.

Tails grins slyly. "Maybe,"

"Did you know about the lawsuit?"

"Of course I did," he muses. "It was on the news. It still is,"

Tails walks inside through the glass doors and turns on the TV. Kitty Kardel is making another report.

"As of last night," she starts. "The family of world hero Sonic the Hedgehog is now suing GUN for experimenting on the body of a deseased family member, Sonic's mother who died from XM2-3, without their consent. GUN has vowed to fight the law suit," her gaze seems to light up significantly. "However, some GUN agents are currently on strike due to GUN's alledged misdeeds. Shadow the Hedgehog made a statement not too long ago," the screen switches to a video of Shadow at some podium. He looks massively ticked.

"We cannot and will not allow this trickery!" he yells into the mic. "GUN had no right to do what they did and anyone who stands for it is either an idiot," he puases for effect. "or a heathen!"

Wow... since when does Shadow take my side? I didn't think he'd care. He always struck me as an all-business-no-bull-crap kind of guy.

The screen switches back to Kitty Kardel. Tails flips to another channel.

"See?" he says. "Everyone knows,"

"I guess so," I sigh. I begin to walk out. "I'm gonna take a run to clear my head,"

"Be careful,"

The run turns out to be... hectic. As soon as I get down to the street, I'm immediately surrounded by people and reporters, shouting questions at me.

"Sonic, what do you think about the law suit against GUN?"

"Any idea on when the trial will take place?"

"Do you have any other family members affected by XM2-3?"

I try to squeeze past the massive crowd of bodies, but no such luck.

A female dog Mobian sticks a microphone in my face. "Make a statement?"

Well, I might as well give them what they want so they'll leave me the heck alone.

I speak softly and akwardly into the microphone. "Um... to be honest, I didn't know about the lawsuit until my sister told me this morning. But I did know about what GUN did to my mother and I was horrified. Seriously, there _has _to be a law against that sort of thing! I hope whoever is responsible gets jail time,"

The reporter nods at me. "Thank you,"

Finally, the corwd seems to loosen and I shuffle past. I blaze down the street, evading taxis and pedestrians as I go. When I make it to Shadow's pent house, I knock on the door. No answer. I knock again, louder this time.

"Okay! I'm coming!" I hear Shadow shout. He opens the door and his irritated glare softens just a little but when his gaze meets mine. "What do you want, Faker?"

"I want to know if you meant what you said on TV," I say. "I didn't think you'd care, to be honest,"

"And I didn't think you'd get acosted so fast," he replies with an amused smirk. He nods at his TV screen, which is showing a video of me five minutes ago talking to the paparazzi.

"Dang," I mutter with wide eyes. "News travels faster than me around here,"

"So you just wanted to ask about what I said?" he asks me with his arms crossed. He leans on the doorframe. I nod. "It's simple. Maria wanted me to help people, to do what's right. And I highly doubt that what GUN did was remotely right. I may not like you and you may not like me, but still,"

I smirk. "Least you have standards. You're actually not thay bad,"

"And I suppose I can tolerate you," Shadow agrees begrudgingly. "Now if you excuse me, I'm busy talking to-"

Shadow is interupted when Rouge pops her head into the doorframe. "Hey, Blue," she says with that look she uses on every male she encounters. You know, the one where she looks like she's trying to seduce you. "Sorry about your Mom, by the way. Shads and I were just talking about you,"

Shadow glares at her. "Why does everyone call me that?"

"Because we're too lazy to say Shadow," I say curtly.

The news report on Shadow's TV switches to something mormore dire...

"Guys, pay attention!" Shadow barks. We hudle inside and around his flatscreen.

Kitty Kardel is there, but with a side video of some fire in Station Square...

"There are reports of an explosion rocking the Lotus apartment building," she starts urgently. "No word on immediate fatalities, although there were an estimated twp hundred people inside when the explosion happened. Witnesses say they heard a cackling recorded laugh and that a red cloud of s

dust floated into the street,"

"Um, Sonic," Rouge mutters, turning paler than usual. "Isn't the Lotus apartment building where _you _live?"

"And Tails," I gasp. I stumble back, using the couch arm for support as my world crumbles around me for the second time in the last few weeks.

There isn't just Tails. Sally lives in that building too. And Knuckles was in the lobby when I saw him last when I left to go to Shadow's. The three people I care about the most could be dead for all I know...

"I have to go!" I yell. I run out the door and down the street as fast as I can.

**What was that 'red cloud of dust'? I bet you know but I won't spoil it for you!**


	13. Chaos

Sonic's POV

Chaos. That's the word to describe it.

I take it all in -all the chaos- as I run to the block outside my apartment building. The building is on fire, with thick black smoke streaming from the windows and orange flames licking the building's insides. Fire trucks are parked all over the place, as well as ambulances carting injured people away.

I look around hurriedly, trying to spot one of my friends. I don't see anyone familiar.

"Tails!" I shout into the crowd of passerby and first responders. I push past wave after wave of people, feeling a deep pit form in my stomach. "Sally! Knuckles!"

No sign of them... until I spot Knuckles sitting on the curb, coughing up red dust.

"Knux!" I yell hysterically. Knuckles flinches in suprise as I wrap my arms around him in a bearhuh.

"Sonic, what's up with you?" he asks me, pushing me back.

"What's up with _me_?" I retort indignantly. "I thought you were in there!"

"No, I was at the diner with Julie Su," he explains. He puts his hands on my shoulder and forces me to look him in the eye. I realize how tired he looks, like whatever happened here aged him a thousand years."Your hyperventilating, hedghog. Calm down,"

I take a deep breath and Knuckles lets go of me. "Where's Tails and Sally?"

"Um..." he trails off, looking away.

"Answer my question!" I snap at him.

Knuckles sighs. "Sally got hurt, but it's nothing life threatening. She got scratched up and she inhaled a lot of smoke. She passed out trying to evacuate. Luckily, the paramedics rushed her to the hospital,"

"And Tails?" I press.

"I don't know," he admits sorrowfully. "I swear, I tried to find him. I really did," his eyes fill up with unshed tears. "I think he's still in there,"

Not another word is required. My older brotherly instincts trump all logic and take over.

Knuckles screams my name as I burst inside the flaming building.

The air is thick and smoggy. I can barely see a few feet in front of me. I don't see any flames. They must be somewhere upstairs, although it is really, _really _hot in here. I start up the stairs when I feel a gloved hand clamp down on my arm. I look over to see Knuckles tugging me back.

"No! It's too dangerous!" he yells over the chaos.

"Too bad!" I yell back. I stomo down hard on his foot. He yelps in pain and lets go.

I take the chance to dart up the stairs as fast as I can go. I make it to my apartment and pound desperately on the door. "Tails!"

No response. I pound harder and still receive no indication of there being anyone alive on the other side of the door. I try to pry the doorknob, but yelp as the handle burns my hand through my glove.

I try kicking the door. It budges but doesn't fall. I try spindashing this time and it collapses.

The apartment isn't the way I remember it. There's toppled furnature and smoke. The air pressure itself is trying to make me cave and it's so hot! I think I'm near the source of the fire.

"Tails!" I scream. "Where are you?!"

For a moment, I hear nothing but the sirens outside and falling debris from elsewhere. Then I hear a whimper. "Sonic?"

The sound comes from Tails's bedroom. I spindash the door down. Tails isn't inside, but I can hear faint shuddering from the closet.

I open the door and Tails is in there, in the fetal position and so terrified that he's shaking. In that moment, I remember that he's only eight years old. With how smart he is, it's easy to forget. He's still young. He's still capable of fear. Heck, I'm only a kid too! I'm fifteen, for crying out loud!

And I think we're both pretty scared.

"I'm getting you out of here," I say. My voice is thick from smoke inhalation. "Hold on tight," I scoop Tails up into my arms and he wraps his skinny arms around my neck.

I dash out of the room, out of the apartment, into the hall, and down the score of stairs.

As I go, I hear a faint rumbling and debris starts falling. Ceiling tiles narrowly miss me and I nearly trip sometimes on fallen walls and caved stairs. I burts out of the building into the street and the protection of first responders. A human girl, a paramedic, scoops Tails out of my grasp and puts him on a stretcher.

Then I look over at the building and scream along with everyone else in a chorus.

The apartment building makes a deafening roar as it collaspes in a wall of dust and rubble. I hear from all angles people swearing, crying, and flat out screaming at the top of their lungs.

My vision blacks out. I remember nothing else after that.

I open my eyes to find myself on a hospital gurney in an overcrowded room of patients with injuries ranging from bumps and bruises to an amputated limb.

Tails and Knuckles are at my bedside, smiling sadly. I sit up.

"What happened?" I ask.

"You passed out when the building collapsed," Tails responds immediately. "It was either from smoke inhalation or shock,"

"You know where Sal is?" I probe. _Please be okay please be okay please be okay..._

I don't know what I would do if something happened to Sally. I've known her since forever. We were playmates as kids and went on to still be best friends later on. We were the unstoppable duo, partners in crime. We helped each other through the rough times, like when Sally's dad got sent to the void or when Uncle Chuck got robotizied.

As we got older, I started to notice more things about her. For example, the way her blue eyes light up when goofing around, which is rare for her because of all her princess responsibilities. Whenever she smiles, the air itself lights up and the room seems brighter. Sure, she is a bit bossy, sometimes stressed out, and occasionally flat out rude, but she always keeps me in check. She pushes me to my limit. She gets me back on my feet whenever I'm in a funk. To put it simply, she cared in the times I thought no one else did.

And I love her for it.

"Sally's in another room getting treated," Knuckles says with that look in his eyes. You know, the one that says _You worry too much._ "Why? Wanna see her?"

I nod stiffly. "Yeah,"

"No one's stopping you," Tails says. He dons a smirk he probably picked up from me. "Go, and woo your woman!"

"Oh, shut it," I grumble as I climb to my feet. I walk out into the hall, which is a mess of bustling nurses and patients.

I tap on the shoulder of a familiar looking white fox. "Skylar?"

Skylar looks over and smiles half-heartedly. "Oh, hey. If you're looking for Sally, she's in the last room to the right," she nods down the hall.

"Thanks," I say.

Skylar walks off with no further acknowledgement and I go the other way to the room she pointed out.

Inside, curled up on a cot in the corner, is Sally. I walk over slowly and realize that she's asleep.

Her body is facing me so I get a good look at her condition. She's covered in cuts and bruises. She has a black eye. Her hair is messy and filled with ashes. Her blue vest has streaks of both ashes and blood on it. She looks like she was shoved into a blender set on chop. But, oddly enough, she looks peaceful.

I wipe a stray strand of red hair out of her face. "Sal... thank God that you're okay..." I tense as her ears twitch. But she doesn't stir. I plant a quick kiss on her forehead. "I love you,"

To my suprise and embarrassment, Sally opens her eyes, her beautiful blue eyes, and smirks. "I know,"

"Wah!" I gasp. A blush heats up my face. "I was, um, perhaps, ugh! I dunno! You weren't supposed to hear that!"

"Then make sure I'm actually unconscious next time," she advises. She sits up and wraps her arms around me. "And I love you too,"

I hug her back, feeling my chest heat up with warmth. I sound so sappy right now, but I never wanna let go. I guess Sal has that effect on people.

Today wasn't the best day. Okay, it freaking sucked. But this makes up for everything in my book.


	14. Not Again Not Ever

Sonic's POV

The explosion makes headlines all over the world. For the past week, it's all anyone's ever talked about. And who blames them?

Tails, Sally, and I were forced to go back to Knothole. With our apartments destroyed, we had no choice and had to move back in with our families. Knuckles went back to Angel Island.

Tails has been bunking with my folks since his parents are missionaries and they're currently in some small African country. I forgot the name, though... somewhere along the lines of Mozambique... oh, that's the one! I should've paid more attention in Geography class. Well, I don't go to school. I do take an online course so the government doesn't get mad.

Anyway, something's been off with Tails. He's been all tired and bumping into stuff. I'm not sure how much sleep he's getting. Since we share a room, I've woke up several times to see Tails tinkering at his makeshift desk at three in the morning.

"Tails," I yawn, rolling onto my side to look at him. "You shouldn't be up so late..."

"I'm not tired," he argued stubbornly. The bags under his eyes say something else.

"Uh, huh," I mutter. I go back to sleep...

It isn't just Tails that is on the fritz. Sally's been tired too. She has deep purple bags under her eyes as well. She walks around like some zombie, but like Tails, she insists she's "fine" when I confront her on a leisurly walk.

"C'mon, Sal," I coax. As we walk down the street, Sally keeps her hand on the crook of my arm. At first, I thought she was just being romantic or something, but I'm beginning to wonder if she's trying to keep balence cause she keeps rocking back and forth. "Is it because of the attack?"

"I told you," she snaps in her usual _no bullcrap _tone. "I'm fine,"

"Sure," I say flatly.

She sighs. "Sonic, don't be difficult. I've just been busy,"

We're both silent for a moment before Sally speaks up again, quietly. "I can't sleep at night,"

"Oh," I trail off. "Nightmares?"

She shakes her head. "I just can't,"

As soon as the word can't slips out her knees buckle. I yelp in suprise and hold her up. "Yikes, Sal!"

"I need coffee... so bad..." she murmers. "So tired..."

I end up carrying her home and turning her over to her nanny slash surrogate aunt Rosie. I call Knuckles the same night and he doesn't stop slurring his words. Why is it that all of my friends can't sleep after this attack when I sleep like a rock?

Then a horrible thought hits me and I immediately want to unthink it. Mom died suddenly from XM2-3... who's to say that...

No, Sonic, no! Don't go there! Not again. Not ever.

**Ah, I bet you lovely readers know what is _really _afoot. Be sure to review!**


	15. My Life Is Infected

Sonic's POV

I wake up to a shrill scream coming from Tails's side of the room. In a sudden panic, I shoot out of bed and bolt over to Tails's bedside. "Tails, what's wrong?!"

Uncle Chuck swings open the bedroom door and runs in. Sonia and Manic loom behind curiously. Tails peeks at us from under the blanket with terrified blue eyes.

"Why'd you scream?" I ask carefully, trying to maintain my cool. "What is it?"

"G-get away from me!" he shrieks. His back hitches and I realize that he's crying. "You'll catch it! You'll all catch it!"

"What do you..." Uncle Chuck trails off. One of Tails's tails pokes out from under the blanet. It's covered in hideous black and red spots. Uncle Chuck lets out a gasp and waves me and my siblings toward the door. "Everyone out!"

Sonia and Manic back away but I stand still as stone. "No..." My voice is quiet, shaky.

Uncle Chuck looks at me as if I'm suicidal (he's probably thinking that). "Sonic, do as I say,"

"NO!" I roar. My outraged tone almost scares me. "I'm not leaving my little brother!"

"Sonic," Uncle Chuck repeats. "It's for the best,"

"Sonic..." Tails whimpers. "Please... I don't want you to catch it..."

And that does it, folks. I cave and back out of the bedroom. Uncle Chuck closes the door behind me.

"I'm calling an ambulance," Sonia announces. She pulls out her cellphone."It's a miracle none of us have caught it with how long we've been exposed to Tails,"

"Yeah, we should be having sleeping problems," Manic states.

"I have something to tell you three..." Uncle Chuck starts in a whisper. "You can't tell a soul. Not even Tails..."

"What is it, Unc?" I blurt hurriedly.

"We're immune to XM2-3,"

Those four words... they send me down a mental spiral. I suddenly feel light-headed...

"And Mom wasn't," Manic says lowly. I don't know if it was a question or a statement.

"I've studied this virus where I work," Uncle Chuck explains. "It's actually an artificially mutated version of the flu. With these mutations come small insignificant weaknesses. Some people are genetically predispositioned to resist artificial pathogens," he looks away. "Your father is immune. So am I. So are you three. Your grandmother would've been immune, had XM2-3 existed when she was still alive,"

"If we're immune," I speculate. "Then why did you make me leave Tails?"

"Because Tails would be terrified if you stayed. He doesn't know of your immunity," he says. He sips at his coffee mug. "And he can't. This is confidential information. Besides, you know that in nine or so days, Tails will be..."

Uncle Chuck doesn't finish. He's cut off when I stomp off and out the front door, making a point of slamming it behind me...

Uncle Chuck's POV

"Uncle Chuck, that was so insensitive!" Sonia scolds angrily. "Sonic knew good and well that Tails is dying. Still, you didn't have to be so blunt,"

"Sonic's tough," I assure. "I don't need to sugarcoat my words for him,"

"But Tails is his best friend," Manic points out.

I feel my patience slowly dwindle. "Ergh... don't you have an ambulance to call?"

Sonia calls them. Five minutes later, a crew of men and women in hazmat suits puts Tails into an ambulance. One of them tests our blood, including my brother and the triplet's father Jules. After the test (we're clear, obviously), Jules retreats back to his cave... er, bedroom. Sonia and Manic clean Tails's things.

Sonic hasn't come back yet. I assume that he went to Sally's to tell her what just happened. Considering how close they are, I'm not surprised that she's the first one he turns to for comfort.

I, however, shut myself into my basement lab.

The lab isn't a prstine sterile whiteness like you'd imagine. It's a mess of books strewn about and cheap old equipment bought on eBay. The only remotely valuable thing isn't mine. I brought it home from work to study. It's a sealed tight frozen XM2-3 pathogen.

I sit down at my desk and pull out the petri dish containing the pathogen. I put it under the microscope and examine it vigorously. It's normal, the way I left it except that it has shrunk in size slightly due to being frozen.

I pick up a paper to record mmy findings, but wince at a paper cut that causes a drop of crimson red blood to drip ontomthe petri dish. Oh crap...

Something in the microscope is... off. The blood cells from my paper cut seem to choke air out of the pathogen, causing it to completely disappear...

Sonic's POV

I run almost blindly to Sally's house. I fight back tears as I go. I refuse to let Sally see me cry!

I open the door with ease (it was unlocked) and walk into the living room. Sally is curled up on the couch. She notices me standing in the foyer and heaves herself to a sitting position with a yawn, wearing a light pink T-shirt and sweatpants AKA her "comfy clothes."

"Sonic?" she asks. Her pupils are dilated and unfocused from the lack of sleep. She stares at me for a moment before frowning. "You're shaking. And you look pale... What's wrong?"

She walks toward me. I meet her halfway.

"Tails..." I whisper. I fight back the lump in my throat. "He's..." And then I lose control of myself. A gut wrenching sob escapes my throat and as my lungs give way, Sally wraps her arms around me. I begin to sob into her shoulder, which isn't easy because I'm so much taller than her.

"Tell me what's wrong," Sally says in a soft motherly tone. "You'll feel better,"

I do tell her, although my words are barely uncomprehendable through my tears which have already made her shirt wet. Despite sounding like an injured animal, Sally understands everything. I even tell her about my immunity. She strokes my quills in what I assumed is an attempt at comforting.

"He's gonna die," I say. My voice is muffled. "Because of Eggman... and I couldn't stop it... I already lost my Mom... and now..."

"You don't know that," Sally whispers. "Maybe Tails will come out of it,"

I don't remember when or how, but I end up falling asleep on Sally's couch. When I wake up, my head's in her lap and I have a horrible headache.

"Sal..." I murmer. My voice is hoarse. "What time is it?"

"Twelve thirty in the afternoon," she replies.

"So... I've been out for three hours,"

Sally nods. Her hair brushes in my face, causing me to sneeze.

She notices and giggles. "You have a cute sneeze. You sounded like one of those kittens in the adorable cat videos,"

"That's cold, Sal," I retort. For the first time today, I smile. "I hate cats,"

"Want me to tell Blaze you said that?"

I shake my head sleepily, or at least try to. I fall asleep for another few minutes only to be woke up by a girlish shriek.

I shoot into a sitting position and look at Sally. She's staring at the back of her hand like it's a bomb. There's a black and red rash on it.

"No way..." I gape. "No, no, no... not you too!"

She intakes a sharp breath of air and brushes some hair out of her face. "I'm gonna call 9-1-1,"

I shoot to my feet as outrage fills my very being. "I'm gonna kill that stupid Eggface! And when he's dead, I'll kill him again!"

Sally stands up as well, stumbling for a moment. "I wish you didn't have to see this. I'm just glad that your immune. If I infected you, I'd never forgive myself,"

The ambulance comes five minutes later to take another one of the people I love the most away. As they roll her out the front door in a gurney, Sally asks them to stop for a moment. Then she pulls out a necklace and places it in my palm. It's a small silver cross on a chain with a bright red jewl in the middle.

"This is a family heirloom," she explains. "In case I don't make it, keep it to remember me by,"

"O-okay..." I say shakily.

"And Sonic?"

"Hmm?"

She plants a quick kiss on my mouth. Luckily, the hazmat guys don't notice. "Go to church, even if just for me. If you go, I can die happily,"

"Sal, don't say that!" I say sharply. "You're not gonna die,"

I'm lying to myself. Sally's screwed and we both know it. Still, Sally smiles nervously. "Be careful, Sonic,"

"Okay... I love you, Sal,"

"And I love you, Sonic,"

They roll Sally into the ambulance, separating us, and test me for exposure. Nothing, of course. The hazmat guys look surpised when the machine beeps negative after drawing my blood, but they just shrug it off and assume I got lucky.

As the ambulance veers off into the street, I clutch the necklace Sally gave me. I have no tears left to cry.

I call Knuckles. Julie Su answers instead, her voice thick and watery. "What do you want, Sonic?"

"Where's Knuckles?" I ask.

She makes an audible growl. "Why do you want him?"

"Tails and Sally have XM2-3..." My voice sounds as tired and broken as I feel. "I need to tell Knuckles..."

"You can't..."

"Why?"

Julie Su makes a shuddering breath. "Knuckles has it too... they just shipped him off to Angel Island's quarentene,"

My blood runs cold as my phone slips out of my hand onto the concrete sidewalk.

"The disease... it's spreading fast..." Julie Su says urgently. "It's spreading to multiple countries a day. Hundreds are dying everyday as thousands more are confirmed infected. Sonic, you don't have the money and resources to fight this on your own... As much as you'll hate this, you'll have to team up with GUN,"

I think of what they did to Mom and others and shudder at the thought. "No. Absolutely not,"

"Just... think about it, okay?"

Julie Su hangs up.

**Me: Yikes, this chapter is sad!**

**Sonic: Skylar, you're horrible! You killed off my mother, you're killing off Tails, Sally, and Knuckles, you're...**

**Me: This story isn't over, bub! You don't know what will happen!**

**Sally: Are you trying to kill me off so Sonic can be with Amy and you can turn this into some Sonamy drabble?**

**Me: You insult me**!!!

**Tails: Please review and flame, for the author is torturing us with these stories!**


	16. Agree To Disagree

Shadow's POV

It's late at night and Rouge and I are curled up on the couch, watching some romatic chick flick Rouge insisted on.

Then our solitude is shattered as an insistant knock pounds my door, demanding attention. Rouge walks across the spacious living room and opens it.

I don't see who's outside, but I hear hushed whispers, catching tibits...

"... yes, what about them..."

"...infected... nothing I could do..."

"...except what..."

"... help me..."

My ears prick as I recognize the male voice coming from outside. I walk over to the door.

Sonic looks awful. His normally bright blue fur is ruffled and dull. His eyes are a puffy red, as if he'd been crying. He has deep purple bags under his eyes and he's rocking in place. Obviously, he had a crappy day.

"Tails, Sally, and Knuckles have it," Sonic says, cutting to the chase. Wait... a three of them? Since when? How? "All three of them were carted off today..."

"We're sorry, Blue," Rouge says. She gives Sonic a quick hug. "If there's anything we can do, you don't even need to ask,"

Rouge is much more gentle than she lets on. Sure, her theiving ways are annoying and I've nearly come to blows with Knuckles over her mindless flirting, but overall, she has a good heart. It just takes time and searching to find it.

"Finding that cure in the next nine days is their only hope," Sonic states. "Eggman might have it in Eggmanland since there's the most security. It's the most isolated of his bases. If I were him, I'd hide it there to,"

"And you want our help?" I ask with narrowed eyes and crossed arms.

Sonic nods before adding, "I want GUN's help,"

"I thought you hated GUN," Rouge points out. "What about the lawsuit?"

"At this point," Sonic lets out a heaving sigh. This thought comes suddenly, but when he's in a bad mood, he's actually a lot like in a normal mood. "I don't care. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get that cure,"

"GUN already tried to infiltrate Eggmanland," I inform. "The mission was a failure and we lost several soldiers,"

"This time it'll be different," Sonic smirks cockily and points his thumbs to himself. "You'll have _me,_"

Even when his three best friends (one of them being his lover) dying, he's still the cocky hedgehog I've grown to not necessarily love, morely tolerate.

"Okay," I say with finality. "Tomorrow morning, we'll discuss this with the GUN commander and hopefully plan out a raid,"


	17. For Them

Sonic's POV

The next morning, Shadow, Rouge and I walk into GUN HQ. As we go down the halls, people keep giving Shadow odd looks, like they're suprised to see him. That's when I remember that Shadow was on strike.

A white fox, Skylar, runs up to us holding a steaming coffee pot in one hand. "Shadow! Thank goodness! The commander is absolutely livid and your return is just what we need to calm him down!"

"What's he mad about now?" Shadow asks warily as he rolls his eyes. "Did you forget that he only drinks _black _coffee?"

"I did do that," Skylar admits with a sheepish grin. "But it's not about my poor coffee making skills,"

"Wait... you work for GUN?" I ask.

Skylar nods.

"She's an intern," Rouge chimes in. "Instead of saving the world like _some _of us," she smirks condescendingly. "she has to make us coffee and worship the ground we walk on,"

Instead of replying with a snarky comment, Skylar pulls down her lower eye lid and sticks her tongue out at Rouge before storming off.

Childish much? Then again, I'm not much better.

"Let's hurry and find the commander," Rouge says. Shadow and I nod.

We walk up a few flights of stairs, down another hall, and into a darkly lit office, quietly closing the wooden door behind us.

At a neat, organized desk, a human in perhaps his sixties sits behind it with his hands clasped together. He had white hair in a low buzz cut and a white mustache dancing above his mouth. His cold icy eyes bore into all three of us.

Shadow finally regains his nerve and clears his throat. "Commander, I know you're furious with me, but-"

The commander holds up his hand, silencing Shadow in an instant. "I don't care about..." his gaze trails over to me and he holds back a sneer. "minor moral debates. You're back. So be it. But are you aware that XM2-3 has infected a _Congressman?!"_

"No, sir," Shadow says quietly. He sounds like a small child that just got caught stealing candy. "I haven't kept up to date with the news,"

"We were all a bit preoccupied," Rouge says.

"But sir. that's not what we're here to discuss," I say pointedly, starting to lose my patience. "Three very close friends of mine have XM2-3, so I'm willing to make an allience with you guys despite my family's lawsuit against you,"

"But what can you do?" the commander asks. I shrink a little under his scrutinizing glare, but I immediately suck it up. For them.

"Um, _helllooo!" _I brag with a smirk. I lean forward and place my hands on his desk casually with it still being a show of dominance. "Fastest thing alive?"

"Eggmanland is where we believe the cure is, but-"

I yawn and roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Heavily guarded. Shadow told me. But I've got past heavily guarded stuff before. With my speed and your numbers and weaponry, it'll be easy,"

"Hmm..." he hums. He stands up and extends his hand. "Deal,"

I take the hand and shake it. I just hope my family will forgive me for my deal with the devil.

Uncle Chuck's POV

I've definitely been captivated by what happened to the pathogen. I explained it to my superiors at work and they supplied me with more frozen pathogens to test.

I barely notice Sonic's absence for the last two days. I suppose he's just wrapping his head around what happened to his friends, poor guy. But he'll be okay. I know it. So I don't pay it much mind.

In the meantime, I do some experimenting in secrecy. I collect blood samples from Sonia and Manic, saying that it's to determine their blood types. I take drops from each and drop them onto pathogens. Every time, the pathogen is destroyed. I haven't gotten a blood sample from Jules. Why? Because he's a Robian. He doesn't have blood anymore. He has motor oil.

I don't know what is going on with the blood and the pathogens. I'm going to bring my findings to my superiors and find out if a simple paper cut caused me to discover a cure for one of the worst plagues ever.

Sonic's POV

I spend two days at GUN HQ training and learning protocols. They wanted to give me a machine gun of all things. I mean, they're cool and all, but they're way too bulky and they're morely Shadow's thing. So I settled on a small pistol strapped on the side of my leg.

I also was given a headset complete with radio and high top shoes meant to make me run faster.

(Author: they're just the shoes Sonic wore in Sonic Riders)

We're leaving for Eggmanland tonight with a unit of two hundred highly trained soldiers. I hope this works...

So many lives depend on it...


	18. The Raid

Sonic's POV

We board a military plane and set out for the island that is home to the insanely tacky base Eggman calls Eggmanland. Shadow showed me pictures and it looks like some demented amusement park. How joyful.

"Sonic," Shadow says from the bench he's strapped to on the other wall. Rouge is next to me filing her nails, completely drowning us out.

"Yeah, Faker?" I reply.

Shadow rolls his eyes at the nickname. "Recite the plan,"

"I'll distract security and the soldiers will deal with any badniks while you and Rouge search for the cure,"

Shadow nods in approval.

"But what if I destroy security all together?" I inquire.

"Then meet up with me and Rouge and help us,"

Shadow stares out the window. He looks... forlorn. I know that there was some girl in his past, Maria I think, that had this disease called NIDS. Her grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, worked endlessly for a cure and created Shadow as the "Ultimate Life Form," but he got called insane for his mad ambitions and his project was shut down. Shadow and Maria tried to escape the Space Colony Ark, where they were held, but Maria died to get Shadow out. Sure, it's admirable, but Shadow is _bullet proof! _Maria didn't have to do that.

Shadow knows this. I know he does. But what would have become of him if Maria hadn't pulled that lever, hadn't been shot...

Then I think of Tails, Sally, and Knuckles. Where would I be without them? What would have become of me if I hadn't taken Tails in? If I left Sally and the Freedom Fighters to Robotnik's terror? If I'd never ventured to Angel Island and met Knuckles.

I know good and well. I'd be a wreck. Those three made me who I am today.

Before I met Tails, I was just a selfish and flaky alcoholic. With him around, I kinda toned it down. The kid would help me around the house and with adventures. He'd happily fix household appliances and improve them. The kid's a genius! He's the only reason I'm passing math on my online course. But even more important, he's a great kid. He loves helping people and always knows what to do when someone is upset. He's definitely wise beyond his years. That kid... he taught me to not be selfish... and what it means to love someone.

Those unspoken lessons definitely helped with Sally, whom I've know since childhood. Sal... she's everything. Like I said before. she can be annoying sometimes because she constantly corrects people. For her, it's impulsive. But she's beautiful, kind, smart... the whole package. She's the one I lean on. She's my rock. And I try to be her's.

And of course, there's Knuckles. Our relationship is... complicated. It goes in a cycle. I do something obnoxious, Knuckles blows his top over it, we fight, we avoid each other for a few days, then one of us mans up and we call a truce. Then repeat. We do drive each other crazy, but we've done some pretty dangerous stuff for each other before. Example, Knuckles broke into an Eggman base alone to bail me out after I got kidnapped. And there was the time I jumled into a lake despite not being able to swim to grab Knuckles when he fell in. We love each other, we hate each other, we try not to punch each other... it's complicated. But there's nothing like a rivalry to motivate me to try harder.

But one thing is for sure: I'm willing to die for these people.

When we land in a barren field, I notice a cluster of red structures and colorful lights in the distance. Eggmanland.

Shadow turns to the soldiers. His voice carries for miles. "Okay, people! We can't afford to fail this time! The fate of millions across the globe is in our hands! Does anyone have questions regarding the plan?"

No one says anything.

"Good," Shadow says. "Let's set out fast and furious,"

Next thing I know, I'm blazing toward the base at full speed. Shadow is next to me in the form of a red blur.

Our combined force knocks down the main metal door and we barrel through small minor bots like they're made of paper. In the distance, I can hear gunfire and metal clashing.

Shadow nods at me and shoots down a corridor. I keep going straight and attracting the security cameras.

I can hear a automated voice ringing through an intercom. **Sonic the Hedgehog: priority one. Shadow the Hedgehog: priority two. Rouge the Bat: priority ten.**

Ha! I got number one! Take that, Faker! But man, I bet Rouge is mad at only being number ten on Eggman's kill list.

An alarm blares and bathes the corridors in red light. Just the way I like it.

I spin dash through some badniks and land on my feet, ever the acrobat. I pull out my pistol and shoot the security cameras, rendering them useless. I shoot some more cameras. I shoot at an incoming robot, but the bullet just pangs off the metal plating and leaves a dent, so I do it the old fashioned way and spin dash through the bot's abdomen.

If there weren't so much at stake. this would be so much fun.

Shadow's POV

"Shadow! Can you belive that!" Rouge yells through my headset. "Priority ten! Ugh. the nerve!"

I try my best to drown her complaining out as I fight. Yes, I care about Rouge. Dare I say it, but I just might have romantic feelings for her. But oh chaos, she complains a lot!

"Shadow? Are you listening? Shadow!"

I spin dash through a row of three robots and land on one knee. I bring my headset's speaker to my ear. "Rouge, your status on Eggman's watch list is the least of our worries,"

"I was just about to say I've found some... AH!"

Her shrill scream hurts my ear physically and my mind emotionally. Is she okay?

My heart bangs in my chest like King Kong. "Rouge, what is it? Rouge?!"

No answer.

Rouge's POV

My temple stings as I feel a metal fist slam into it. It breaks my headset.

I stumble back and gaze drowsily at my attacker... Metal Sonic.

"Rouge the Bat, priority ten," he says in his dead mechaical voice. Right now, I'm liking flesh and bone Sonic a lot more than _this _scrap metal.

"Tell your boss I should _at least _be priority three," I demand like an angry customer in the mall. "I'm insulted!"

I turn to walk away, but my path is blocked by a wall of robots. Titanimum plated robots. Crap.

Sonic's POV

I can't believe how easily I was overpowered. I was just smashing stuff, minding my own business, when a metal fist hit me and shattered my headset. Then I got blocked off by titanium robots and am currently being escorted alonside Rouge.

"This sucks," I complain.

Rouge groans pitifully. "I understood you the _first _ten times you said that this sucks,"

The bots throw us roughly into a cell and slam the barred door shut behind us. In the other cells lining the hall, both humans and Mobians that suffered similar fates gige us sympathetic _Hey, I've been there _looks.

Rouge heaves herself to her feet and dusts off some dirt from her legs. I just stay on the dirty concrete floor and sulk.

The cell consists of two small cots, a metal toilet in the corner, and more dust than memes about Knuckles.

"This _reaaaallly _sucks!" I bellow like a child. I hop up and begin to pace. "We don't have time for this! My friends only have eight days left! Who knows when GUN will bail us out, the good for nothing sons of-"

"Will you just SHUT UP?!" Rouge shouts at me. I freeze and clamp my mouth shut. Rouge plops down on a cot and crosses her arms to accent her glare. "Look, I'm sorry about your friends. I really am. But for crying out loud, you don't have to be so freakng pessimistic! Even Shadow doesn't complain this much. You act as if it's over for us. that this mission has no chance of a comeback. Maybe if you could just stop whining and help me find a way to bust out, we'd be out sooner,"

Wow... just... wow. Do I really complain that much?

"I get your point, Rouge," I sigh. I lean back against the wall and cross my arms. "I'm sorry. But what can we possibly do here? Our headsets are broken. We have no way of warning anyone about our capture,"

Rouge smirks deviously and pulls out a lock pick. "Rule one of being a jewl thief: _never_ leave home without a lock pick. To people like me, it's as important as having a cell phone," She walks to the door and sticks her right arm out through the bars. She fiddles with the lock for a moment and... _viola._ The door rolls open.

"You're a genius!" I gape happily. We fist bump and slip into the hall. Then I remember the other captives, who are currently shouting at us with pleading eyes. "Try to free the others,"

Rouge goes from door to door, freeing rejoicing prisoners. Some of them look so skinny and dirty, that I wonder if they've been here for years. Still, they're so happy right now some of them are flat out crying.

"Attention, please," I shout over the cries of joy and rejoicing. Everyone looks at me. "We need your help to get out of here in one piece. Some of you may not know this, but a horrible disease has taken the world by storm and Eggman has the cure. We need it desperately, but we need more man power to get

ast the titanium bots,"

"We're GUN agents," a guy says. He's an orange colored echinda with cybernetic pathes in his dreadlocks and a cybernetic left eye. He's wearing a black tank top and an empty holster belt. "Eggman has our weapons in storage. If we could just get them and combine our forces, we'd be unstoppable,"

"So be it," Rouge decides. "What's your name?"

"Arson the Echinda," the echinda replies. Rouge and I exchange cautious looks. "Let's just say I have history with... well, arson,"

Another guy pats his back hard and they fist bump.

"What are we waiting for dudes?" Arson asks. He looks at Rouge. "And dudettes," he adds. "Let's go!"

I estimate there are around two hundred of us. With numbers like that, we easily plow through the robot guards and sprint down the corridor, shouting like maniacs. When we get to a metal door, Arson takes a crow bar (where did he get that?) and pries the lock open. We file into the storage room and the soldiers pick up heavy guns, some of them looking as huge as me. Others pick up swords and axes. A few lose all common sense and pick up fold up chairs.

Robots storm in but are completely overwhelmed. Through the chaos. I sort through the open boxes. In one, I spot a small hand held. It looks so... familiar...

I pick it up and weigh it in my hands. Without me even touching the power button, the screen whirls to life. Swirling green pixilized words aplear on screen.

**Sonic?**

"What the heck?" I blurt.

**It's me! Nicole!**

Wait... what? Nicole the Hololynx? Sally's Mobianized A.I? I thought Sally lost Nicole. I remember that day with crystal clarity. Sally cried her eyes out and blamed herself. I mean, yeah it was kind lf her fault, but I still felt for her. She was so attached to Nicole. If -when- she sees her, she'll be thrilled!

"Nicole? Whoa..."

**Where's Sally?**

Oh crap... "I'll tell you later. Let's get out of here,"

**Ok.**

I take Nicole and put her in my pistol holster since my pistol had been taken away by the robots when I got captured. In the corner of the room is a study desk. I walk over to it and run a hand over the smooth polished wood. The desk is neat and has a brown leather journal on it. It must be frequently used.

I open it and realize that it's Eggman's personal journal. I flip through the pages to find that it's mostly about evil plots. He even talks about XM2-3. When I read that the blue vial used in his warning video was a prop, I'm immediately incensed. But that doesn't compare to the latest passage...

Entry 94#

No one will see this journal. This room is sealed shut and only I know how to undo the lock. Therefore... this is the source of the cure...

It's Sonic. Well, it's the blood of immunes including Sonic.

(I have to reread that last line five times for it to sink in... Oh chaos... all of this time... it was inside me?)

I've found that actually ten percent of the world's population is immune to XM2-3. It's genetically predispositioned. But nobody else knows this yet. So I don't have cause to worry.

To my dismay, Sonic is, in fact, among the lucky ten percent of people with immunity. Of course that blue pin cushion is. He always dodges my plans! It's like God is saying _"Give__ it up,"_ by letting Sonic be born immune.

As long as this secret is safe, my plague is too.

Sonic's POV

I can't believe it... I can cure my friends with my own blood!

"Rouge!" I shout. She looks at me. "The cure! I know what it is!"

"Really?!" she gasps. She snatches the journal from my hands and reads the passage. "Wow! You just need to donate blood!" she screams at everyone loud enough to wake the dead. "WE HAVE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR! LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!!!"

"Aw, that's no fun," Arson whines. "I never even got to commit arson!"

"Suck it up, hottie," a female cat says to him.

Arson sighs. "Fine. Let's bounce,"

**Arson is another OC of mine. He's one of my personal favorites cause of the... erm, arson. Don't worry, they'll be some "accidental fires in the next chapter."****Oh, and you know how I said Sonic was an alcoholic before meeting Tails? To learn more about that, read my story Not Perfect.**


	19. Calypso

**In school, I'm reading the Odyssey, so the OC in this chapter is inspired by the nymph that holds Odysseus captive on her island for seven years. No, my OC Calypso isn't a reincarnation or the Mobian version of the Greek goddess Calypso. She just shares the name, although there are some similarities...**

Sonic's POV

I'm stirred awake in my seat by hard turbulance. Shadow's head shoots up from across the aisle. The guy next to me, Arson, is still asleep like a rock, slumped over and drooling on my shoulder.

"What was that?" Rouge yawns sleepily as she opens her eyes. "Turbulence?"

"No, Arson bombed the bathroom," I tease.

The said echinda spurs awake and looks around. "Someone say my name?"

More turbulence. We all jolt.

"Before you ask, I didn't do it!" Arson says quickly with his palms up. He yelps as even more turbulence rocks the plane.

Other soldiers are starting to spur awake and ask questions. With four hundred of us crammed in here, including the soldiers we rescued from Eggmanland, the sudden whispering is really loud. An officer runs into the room and yells over the chatter...

"What's going on?!"

As if to answer... everyone screams as the nose of the plane goes down and we lower in elevation faster and faster. I grab onto my seat belt and clutch it for dear life as I scream with everyone else in a chorus. Even Shadow looks like he's about to wet himself.

The last thing I remember is hearing a booming crash before my vision fades to blackness...

...

...

I peer open my eyes at the hot afternoon sun. Shadow, Rouge, and Arson are standing over me, looking as totalled as I feel. Their clothes were ripped and wet and they were covered in sand and seaweed.

I sit up and look around. We're on a beach of an unfamiliar island. "Where are we?"

"Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean," Shadow answers. He looks toward the bright blue sea. "Our plane crashed. We've been here for about a day,"

Sally, Tails, and Knuckles have six days left. Six. Freaking. Days.

Oh, no... that means they're in Stage Three. They're probably insane by now...

"We need to get out of here," I say. I pull out Nicole. "Nicole, can you radio for help?"

**I'm... vrt... sorry, Sonic. There is no radio system here... vrt. We're completely isolated.**

I let out a gutteral groan. Arson heaves me to my feet. "We're gonna have to either build a boat, fix the plane, or hope a plane flies by and sees us.

"No plane is coming for you," a smoove female voice cooes from behind me. Everyone looks over to see a female cat.

She's light yellow with a tuff of yellow bangs covering her right eye. The rest of her hair cascades down to her thin waist. She has hazel eyes and is wearing a luau around her neck and a Hawaiian skirt. She's barefoot, but her ankles are covered with bulky gold rings, as are her wrists.

She's so... beautiful! She's so... so...

What am I thinking?! I have a girlfriend!

"Ah, civilization," Rouge says in relief. She approaches the cat. "Are there more people anywhere? A village or town?"

The cat shakes her head, signalling no.

Everyone's shoulders slump. Then I look around and realize all of the soldiers are gone. "Have you seen, say, armed soldiers around by chance?"

She nods.

"Where are they?"

She points into the jungle. I pull back some leaves to see... the soldiers!

But they're all eating weird pink flowers and partying. Their eyes are glazed over and they are shamelessly flirting with each other. It's like they'e under a trance.

"YO!" I yell at them. They look my way before completey ignoring me. "We got work to do! People to save!"

Still, they don't heed my words.

The cat smirks deviously.

"What's your name?" I ask her. "And how'd you get here?"

The cat bends down to the sand and begins carefully drawing letters. First a C... then an A... then an L... Y... P... S... O...

Calypso.

She runs sand over her name and covers it up. She begins writing a new phrase word by word...

_I was born here._

"Then where are your parents?" Shadow asks.

She frowns as she rights another word. _Dead._

"Why won't you talk?" Rouge asks.

_I'm mute._

"How do we get out of here?" Shadow asks.

_There is no getting out of here, _Calypso erases her old words and draws letters on a new slate. _This island is impossible to find by satellite. No one knows it exists. You're stuck here._

"Stuck?!" I blurt. I turn to Shadow, Rouge, and Arson, whom isn't paying attention because he's too busy staring at Calypso like an idiot. "We can't be stuck! All those people... my friends..."

Calypso holds out a handfull of bright pink flowers in her hand and smirks flirtily.

"What're those?" Arson asks as he takes one.

Calypso writes something in the sand. _They will clear your mind. Try some._

Arson shoves the plant into his mouth and swallows it whole. Shadow and Rouge take some and do the same.

Suddenly, all three of them look at each other with wide eyes. "_Whoa..._"

"This is delicious," Rouge sighs dreamily, clutching her shirt. "More?"

Calypso pulls out more flowers. Shadow, Rouge, and Arson scramble for more and devour them.

"Let's go party!" Shadow suggests lightly with a grin that looks unnatural on his face.

"Good call," Arson replies before burping. The three of them intermingle with the soldiers.

"Hey, wait!" I shout as they go. "What are you doing?"

Calypso holds out a single flower and smiles innocently.

"I don't know what in the name of chaos you just did to my friends," I say. I cross my arms and glare. "But whatever it is, I'm not falling for it,"

_I'm just trying to_ _help. _Calypso writes. _Your friends and soldiers are just irresponsible_.

"Shadow never parties," I argue.

_He's obviously had a change of heart. I didn't do anything._

She continues to hold out the flower. Maybe I'm just paranoid. Maybe I should loosen up. Afterall, if Shadow is willing to take a break, then screw it.

I take the flower from her grasp and inspect it. It's a bright beautiful shade of pink that reminds me of my friend Amy. The petals shoot out in all directions, making the flower dramatic looking. It smells like honey.

I place it in my mouth and chew. It releases a sugary sweet liquid in my mouth that calms my nerves. I then swallow.

I remember nothing after that.


	20. Sally Interlude

Sally's POV

The disease is eating at me. It's eating at my very being.

I still can't sleep. My body is covered from head to toe with hideous rashes. My mind itself seems to itch to do something insane... to strangle the doctor... to jump out the window and rob McDonalds... to do _something, _anything other than laying here in quarentene on this bed.

I'm glad Sonic can't see me right now. I look horrible with my deep purple bags under my eyes, my rashes, and my unkempt hair and teeth. The hospital wouldn't let me shower or anything because they feared I'd contaminate the bathroom. The closest thing I have is a metal bucket for using the bathroom.

Right now, I'm so tired I can't move. I have a fever coming on. I haven't eaten much.

By now, I've pretty much accepted I'm gonna die. I don't know how Tails and Knuckles are fairing, but it doesn't matter. I know they're gonna die too.

Rumor is that Sonic allied himself with GUN to find a cure. His family is incensed.

I'm at stage three. If Sonic hasn't found anything now, I doubt he'll find something in time to save me. All I can hope is that he'll be able to save millions of others...


	21. Test Of Will

Sonic's POV

Weightless. That's what I feel after eating the flower. What am I doing on this island again? Meh, who cares?

Calypso writes something else in the sand, but my vision is a little blurred to read it. So I just go into the crowd and mingle a bit.

More flowers grow on the bushes to be eaten. Several people have a game of chicken going on in a lagoon. Everyone is dancing to music being played by soldiers banging on taiko drums.

Meanwhile, I hang around and eat more flowers. Then Shadow and I play a game of coconut dodge ball. Then Rouge joins in and we're all left bruised, but too elated to care. Arson really heats things up by setting a bunch of drift wood on fire.

I'm about to eat another flower when I hear a small voice. _Sonic... don't eat that._I pause and hold the flower in front of my face.

_These lotus blossoms are a test. Once you eat them, you forget your purpose._

Who are you?

_I am the Lord._Wait... what?

_I've watched all that's transpired here. How long do you think you've been on this island?_Umm... I dunno. Ten minutes?

At least it felt like ten minutes, that is. Why do I have a pit in my stomach?

The voice -God- sighs. _Calypso tricked you. You've been here for five days._"Five days?!" I gasp out loud. Then it all comes back to me. The flowers. Calypso. Eggmanland. The blood cure... my friends...

They have a day left...

I pull out the necklace Sally gave md, the one with the cross and ruby gem in the middle. _I failed her_, I think as I gaze at it.

_There is still a chance_, the voice encourages. _Get your friends and find Calypso. She will explain everything and grant you a way home._Okay, then, I reply mentally as I put the necklace inside my glove. I take the lotus, set it on the ground, and step on it. Pink liquid stains the grass and the bottom of my shoe.

I run into the crowd, screaming for Shadow, Rouge, and Arson. I find Shadow and Rouge making out under a palm tree.

"Yo! Lovebirds!" I snap at them. They pull away from each other and gauk at me in embarrassment. "We gotta go!"

"But we just got here!" Rouge whined. "Why?!"

"Those stupid flowers..." I seeth under my breath. I take a deep breath and explain everything. When I finish, Shadoa and Rouge are looking a little pale.

"We fell for drugs," Shadow sighs. "Let's find Ar-"

He's cut off as flames peek out from deep in the woods, along with excited boyish yelling. "Found him," I say.

We walk into the jungle, where Arson is pouring gasoline (Where'd he get that?!) onto an already gigantic fire. He turns to us and smiles. "Hey guys. Wanna join me in my arson?"

"You can burn stuff when we get home," Shadow says. He snatches the can of gasoline from his grasp. "Right now, we need to find Calypso,"

"Why?"

"We got tricked," I explain. "We forgot our purpose because of the flowers we were eating. We've been here for _five days_, "

"What?!" Arson gasps. "No we haven't! It's only been fifteen minutes!"

Shadow, Rouge, and I just give him grave looks. Arson turns pale and steps back.

"Let's just find Calypso and get to the bottom of this," Rouge suggests. We all nod and make our way back to the beach, where Calypso is standing in the water, the waves dragging against her skirt.

"Hey!" I yell at her. "What gives?!"

Calypso turns to us and steps onto land. She shakes the water from her fur and writes in the sand. _So you're finally awake._"Yeah, why'd you trick us?" I demand, feeling anger heat my chest. "We're kind of in a time crunch,"

_It was a test that you've finally passed. You should be proud. Many men have grown old and died on this island because of my mother and grandmother, as well as me._"I thought you were alone here," Arson states. "Liar,"

_Indeed, I lied. There is a village on the other sids of the island. Our people have a tradition of testing the will of shipwrecked sailors by drugging them with the flowers. But by passing, you earned this._Calypso pulls out a shining purple chaos emerald. I take it and weigh it in my hands.

"We can chaos control home," Shadow says as a satisfied smile creeps onto his muzzle.

"What are we waiting for?" I ask quickly. "Let's go. We'll come back for everyone else later," I hold the emerald high above my head and feel the power coarse through my veins. In the back of my mind, I thank the voice. Maybe Sal was onto something when she asked me to go to church... "Chaos control!"

One moment, we're on the island. The next, we're not.


	22. You Have To Choose

Sonic's POV

We chaos control to Angel Island, just outside their hospital.

"Go save Knuckles first," Shadow instructs. "We'll wait out here for you,"

I nod silently and dash through the glass doors. In the lobby, the secretary is typing away at a computer. He looks up at me.

"Sonic?" he asks. "Are you here to see Knuckles?"

"Where is he?" I say quickly, gripping the desk.

"Third floor. Room 234#,"

"Thanks, man!"

I don't bother to wait for an elevator. I zip up the stairs and follow the secretary's instructions until I get to Knuckles's quarentene. On the other side of the glass wall, Knuckles is asleep and hooked up to an IV. His chest rises and falls slowly. Dangerously slow.

A female doctor is writing something down on a clipboard when I tap her shoulder. "Doc?"

She turns around and looks at me. "Yes?"

"I'd like to make a blood transfusion,"

"Okay," she scribbles something else down. "To whom?"

"Knuckles the Echinda,"

She looks at me as if I lost my mind. "Knuckles? The echinda with XM2-3? I'm sorry, but it's not blood loss that's the problem,"

"Just do it," I whine impatiently. "You'll see why later,"

She sighs. "Fine. Come with me,"

She takes me to another room and sets me down on a bed. I flinch as she sticks an IV needle in my arm (I hate needles...). Another doctor, a guy, types some commands into a computer and blood fills the tube stuck into my arm. I immediately feel light-headed, but I suck it up. This crimson is gonna save lives.

When they finish, the IV is filled with my blood and my body feels like mush. I try to stand up, but I'm hit with vertigo and stumble a bit. Both doctors catch me and help me become stable on my feet. "Thanks," I mutter.

Outside, Shadow and Rouge are waiting for me. Arson is no where to be seen.

"Where's Arson?" I ask.

Shadow shook his head and rolled his eyes. "He has family here, so he ran off to say hi. Let's hit Knothole without him,"

When we get to Knothole, we appear on the sidewalk of my neighborhood.

"I'll meet ya there," I say. Then I blaze down the road as fast as a bullet train... maybe faster. I skid to a stop at the hospital entrance, leaving black skid marks on the sidewalk. I throw the doors open and go through the same drill. I get Tails's and Sally's locations, which happen to be right next to each other.

Neither of them look too good. Tails looks so small and weak. His body is so covered by rashes, I can barely see any yellow. He looks emanciated. His breaths are shaky and uncertain. The sight alone breaks my heart... I should've known that the disease's symtoms would hit him harder, being that he's smaller and younger than Sally and Knuckles.

Sally looks pretty bad too. She's staring out into space, her pupils unfocused... she's already blind. Her hair and fur is ratty and unkept. The rashes almost cover her arms, legs, and chest.

Doctor Quack is next to me, looking at Sally and Tails pitifully. "This is so unfair, don't you agree? They're both so young... so spirited. Neither had done anything to deserve this,"

"Yeah," I mutter. I press a hand against Sally's glass wall and look Doctor Quack in the eye. "Doc, I know how to save them,"

"How?" he inquires, adjusting his stethoscope.

"A blood transfusion,"

He gives me the same look the doctor on Angel Island gave me. "Sonic, that's ludicrous,"

"No it's not," I argue. "Eggman's own personal journal said that the blood of people immune to XM2-3 is the cure. I'm one of the lucky immunes. I can save them both!"

"According to your records," Doctor Quack says, peering at a clipboard skeptically. "you just donated blood on Angel Island. If you donate here, it could be risky to you. Your white blood cells haven't had time to reproduce, Sonic. Donating to one of your friends could hurt you. Donating to both... might kill you,"

I never thought about that... but... I can't just... I can't just choose who lives and who dies.

Doctor Quack snaps me out of my daze. "Sonic, if we're going to act, we have to act now. Sally is already at stage four and Tails is on the cusp. There is no time to consider. You have to choose what to do _now,_"

"Okay..." I breath sharply and meet his critical gaze. "I'm donating for both,"

**Will Sonic make it through the blood transfusion? Stay tuned!**


	23. More To Me Than Blood

Sonic's POV

"Stay calm, relax..."

"Try not to move..."

"Hungry?"

"Wish to speak to your family?"

The doctors bustle around the room as they pluck needles in me, give me painkillers, prepare some machine thing, and ask a begillion questions about my health.

But the last question, asked by Doctor Quack, manages to get my attention. "Where are they?" I ask the said doctor.

"In the lobby. Your brother and sister are sobbing messes and they won't stop yelling at the staff. Your father got into a fist fight with one of our doctors. Your uncle is the only one behaving,"

"I want to say goodbye to them," I say. "Bring 'em in,"

"You're not giving up _that _easy right?" Doctor Quack asks with wide and pitful eyes. "You're Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"And I'm gonna die,"

"You almost died countless times," he drifts toward the door. "I'm not saying that you're guaranteed survival... but don't just resign yourself like this," With that, he walks out. A few minutes of nothing but the steady beep of the IV and the bustling of doctors fills my ears until my sobbing siblings rush in and engulf me in a tight hug.

"Sonic, please don't do this!" Sonia sobs into my shoulder.

"We already lost Mom," Manic gasps for air, his back hitching under my outstretched arm. "We can't lose our brother too!"

Dad, in his roboticized former glory, lingers at the doorway as Uncle Chuck paces toward me.

"Sonic," Dad says coldly in his automated voice. "I forbid you from doing this,"

"And I don't care," I shoot back. "My best friends are _dying_, Dad. I have to save them no matter what,"

"We're all immune," Uncle Chuck states. "Let one of your siblings do it. They have blood to spare. You don't,"

"There's no time to set up a replacement," Doctor Quack says. He sighs. "We have to start now,"

"NO!" Dad roars. He lunges forward, only to be restrained by four nurses. "Hands off my son! You'll kill him!" Even as they drag him out, the rest of my family following suit, he still wails. "_You'll kill him! No... NO! You'll kill him! SONIC! _"

Tears fill my eyes, but I blink them back and lean back, murmuring in a broken voice... "Daddy,"

"Sonic," Doctor Quack mutters. "It's time,"

As my blood begins to fill the transfusion tube, darkness clings at my vison.

So this is what it feels like to die. Your body shuts down but your mind remains, roaring in stubborn fury that you want to live. Do I want to live? Yes, but not without Tails and Sally. I wish I could've said goobye to Knuckles, but I was just in too much of a hurry. Maybe when those three look back, they'll remember me as someone that cared. Sure, I was often a pain in the butt. Sure, there's a lot I never apologized for... but maybe this will rectify it.

Tails, my little brother... You've been there since day one when I found you starving and beat up on that island. Despite the crappy hand life dealt you, you were always bright and ambitious. You push on with an unbroken spirit, even when you're scared and confused. You're my inspiration... stay cool, will ya?

Ah, Knuckles. You're... a knucklehead, to put it nicely. But did you ever back down from your duty? No. Did you cower in fear? No. Did you let Rouge wile you with her charms? No... well, yes. She does that to everyone. But, dude, you're no pushover and even though you've left me battered and bruised on a few occasions, I wish I had a chance to thank you. I needed some sense beaten into me a few times. I can only hope and pray you take care of Tails.

Sally... I've made it clear how I feel about you, but... ah, what the heck. I love you, Sal. I didn't deserve you, and yet you came along and drilled perserveance, patience, and how to play chess (even though I'll always hate the game) into my head. You comforted me when Tails caught XM2-3, even though you had it yourself. You were always quick to make sure I was okay if I looked even remotely upset. You... you were everything I needed.

There are so many more that I don't have time to say goodbye to. There are so many things I never got the chance to do. Too many things I left unsaid. Too much time lost. I'm only sixteen after all.

My body turns numb as the darkness takes over my vision. This is it. Goodbye, everyone...

As I lose my grip on consciousness, I hear a small voice in my head, whispering...

_It's not over. This is not your time._

**Sad****, huh? I'M THE MASTER OF CHEERFULLNESS! ****Bear with me, guys. The next chapter will be more heartwarming.**


	24. Nicole Interlude

Nicole's POV

No one knows that I've been sneaking into the hospital. No one knows that I smuggled Tails his Pokemon cards and what not. No one knows the mind and heart of an organic A.I. That includes Tails. Maybe even myself... I am still new to this whole emotions thing.

When my nanite lynx form takes root in the hospital lobby, I spot Sonic's family on the couch, talking in hushed, broken tones. Something is wrong. My A.I instincts are to rectify any problem I come across. Or perhaps it's my Mobian side...

"Pardon my asking," I start formally with my hands clasped together. "But what seems to be the problem?"

Sonia looks up at me with puffy red eyes and frazzled purple quills and clothes. "Sonic... he... he..."

"He's donating blood for Sally and Tails," Sir Charles, or rather Uncle Chuck finished stiffly, his fists clenched and his gaze distant.

"Oh, right," I recall. "The cure. He's gonna save them,"

"Yes, but he won't make it," Charles said. "He already donated blood to Knuckles. The doctors on Angel Island say that Knuckles is recovering, which is good. But Sonic is losing too much blood at one time. This transfusion is killing him,"

I should feel despair. I should be heartbroken. But I have never experienced those emotions before. I wouldn't be able to identify them if I felt them. But I do feel my chest clenching and a pit in my stomach. Perhaps I'm in need of repair. "Oh,"

"I can't believe he's doing this to us," Manic raved. He hopped to his feet and paced angrily. "Losing Mom was bad enough, but Sonic? He already betrayed us by joining forces with GUN after what they did to Mom's body! Now he's leaving us!"

"Sonic is strong," I console. I place a hand on the incensed green hedgehog's shoulder. "I have all confidence that he'll pull through. He's cheated death before. What makes this different?"

Manic seems to calm down a bit, but the scowl remains glued on his face.

"I must go," I continue. "I have... business... to attend to..."

I let my form dissipate and will myself to appear in Tails's quarentene. Since I am not physical, there is no risk of me contracting the disease. That is one of the perks of being an organic A.I.

Tails is laid down on a gurney, his small chest rising and heaving. He has no idea what Sonic is doing to save him and Sally. If Sonic does die (and I mean if)... Tails will be devastated.

"I will help you through it," I say, not expecting a reply. I slowly approach Tails's sleeping form. "I may not be able to fully experience emotions of my own, I can easily identify those of others. But my emotions are getting stronger... will you help me, Tails?" I smile warmly and caress Tails's forehead. He lets out a small pur in his sleep. "I'd like to request lesson one... Tails, what does it mean to... _love _?" I lean down and place a small kiss on his cheek. Tails stirs for a moment but doesn't wake. My eyes fill with something I thought I was incapable of... tears. "Does love make one happy? Does it hurt? Is it a neutral emotion that is more a commitment than anything? What is it?"

No response.

"It's okay... I didn't expect you to answer me. But someday... please teach me..."

**Please don't kill me. I impulsively love Tailsicole. Think about it! A mechanic and an organic A.I. It's a match made in Heaven! Of course, I also like Tailsmo (Tails x Cosmo), but Cosmo died, so...**

**See ya next chapter!**


	25. Wake Up To You

Sally's POV

I peer open my eyes to see several doctors standing around me. To my suprise, they're smiling and without hazmat suits.

"Got a death wish or something?" I ask, slurring my words.

Doctor Quack just laughs. "You're cured, Sally,"

I sit up quickly with wide eyes and do a double take. "Excuse me?"

"They found a cure," he explained. "It's the blood of immunes. Tails and Knuckles are recovering as well. None of you are contagious anymore. Unfortunately..." he avoids my gaze and cringes. "Sonic... donated blood for all three of you and... it didn't go well,"

My heart thumps harder in my chest and I feel my blood (or Sonic's) run cold. "He's alive, right?"

"He is," Doctor Quack assures. "But he's under a blood loss coma. His siblings have each donated blood to save him, as well as additional samples for cures, but we don't know if it will work. You can see him if you want,"

"Take me to him," I demand. He helps me stand and leads me down the hall into another room.

Inside, Tails, Knuckles, and Sonic's family are huddled around a gurney, where Sonic is laying. He looks deathly pale and isn't moving much, but he's breathing rapidly.

Everyone's gazes swerve to me as I approach the gurney. I grab Sonic's hand and squeeze it, as if trying to telepathically tell him I'm here.

"Is he making progress?" I ask to no one in particular.

Tails nods. "The fact that he's alive is a miracle. The doctor said his chances of survival increase every day,"

"When Sonic wakes up," Knuckles says, pounding his fists. I like how he said when instead of if. "I'm gonna break every bone in his body, apologize, heal him with the Master Emerald, and break his bones again after he says something snarky,"

We all laugh. Even though Sonic's eyes are closed, I think for a moment that he rolled his eyes.

"And I'll help you," Tails teased. "Gotta pay him back for worrying us!" he turns to me. "Sally?

"I'll just stand and watch," I chuckle.

"Wow, what kind of wake up call is _that? _" a cocky voice asks. Everyone's gazes dart over to Sonic, who is peering his emerald green eyes open and smirking. "Fun fact of the day: when you're in a coma, you can hear everything around you,"

Everyone just gauks for a moment, frozen in time.

"Son..." I gasp under my breath. "Sonic..."

"Hey, Sal," he replies. He strokes my arm and looks at Tails and Knuckles. "Did it work?"

And then the tension in the room is broken. Tails, Knuckles, Sonia, and Manic fling themselves onto Sonic in a tight hug.

"Whoa, I can't breath!" Sonic wheezed, still smiling and hugging his loved ones back. Sir Charles smiles warmly and heartily ruffles Sonic's quills. Sonic's father Jules follows suit.

I just linger and stand motionless as tears cascade down my face. A sob escapes my throat, but I try to stifle it with my hand.

Sonic notices. "Sal?"

Everyone backs up a little. I lean forward and instead of bearhugging him, I plant a kiss on his mouth. Sonic flinches in shock but returns the kiss. When I pull away, I grip his face in my hands. "Never do that again!" I yell at him, my voice breaking.

"Yeah, Sonic," Sonia lectures. "Manic and I could've done it. But no, you had to be rash,"

"But everything turned out fine in the end," Sonic points out. He gestures to himself. "Look. Still alive and kicking,"

"You can do some stupid stuff," I sigh in dismay. Then I hug him and rest my head in the crook of his neck. "But it must've took guts and you did save us, so... thanks,"

"Well, I couldn't just let you guys kick the bucket on me," Sonic reasons, wrapping his arms around me in turn. "But it's over. Now we can focus on forming cures for everyone infected,"

"Of course," Jules says. "But Sonic, the rule is one blood donation a week. Got it?"

"But Daaaad," Sonic whines like a toddler about to throw a tantrum. I catch myself snickering.

"I will not have you going comatose again,"

"Speaking of which, how long was I out?"

Everyone freezes at the question.

"Um... about a week," Sir Charles replies tentatively.

Sonic's eyes widen. "What?!"

"Don't feel so bad," Tails consoled. "I woke up just yesterday. Weird thing is," he continues, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I had a dream that I was kissed by Nicole,"

"A dream," Sonic says slyly. "Suuuure,"

Tails blushes furiously. "Uh, I mean- ah!"

Everyone just chuckles in reply. Tails sighs and holds back a grin...

**BTW, requests are open but only for oneshots.**


	26. Epilogue

Third Person POV

Kitty Kardel sat at her desk, looking at the screen with a giddy smile.

"This is Kitty Kardel reporting to you live from Station Square with new and uplifting news about the deadly epidemic of XM2-3. Apparently, not only has GUN located a cure with the help of Sonic the Hedgehog, but that said cure has saved it's first recipients, Sally Acorn, Miles 'Tails' Prower, and Knuckles the Echinda, whom were all infected with XM2-3 around the same time. Dramatically enough, it was by the blood of those immune to the disease. For them, it was Sonic specifically, whom underwent a coma after donating too much blood. Luckily, Sonic, Sally, Tails, and Knuckles are all recovering quite well,"

"On another note, Eggman is swiftly being hunted down for the deaths of those afflicted by XM2-3 which would tally to three thousand five hundred and fourty one so far. Luckily, the cure is currently being administered to more XM2-3 victims. A vigil will be held in Station Square this Saturday to mourn the loss of those deceased..."

Sonic's POV

As Tails and I watched the news report in my family's living room, Sonia walks inside lugging a bunch of shopping bags, her face red, contorted and grunting from the weight.

"Well, they say beauty is pain," I comment snidely.

Sonia sticks her nose up and sneers. "Thanks for the offer to help, Sonic,"

She lugs the baggage down the hall into her bedroom and comes back, plopping down next to us. "So, Sonic. What was it like almost dying?"

"Way to be blunt, sis," I retort, recalling the not so pleasant memory.

"I'm just curious,"

"Yeah, now I am too," Tails blurted. "Of course, I almost died to, but I was asleep the whole time,"

I pause carefully. "Well... your whole life really does flash before your eyes. And I was just trying to stay calm, remind myself who I was doing it for. You know, what'd you'd expect,"

Tails and Sonia are briefly silent. I guess it's because I'm not one to get deep. But, hey, they asked.

Then I remember something. "Crap! I forgot to give Sal back her necklace!"

I don't miss a beat. I hop to my feet, swing the door open, and blaze down the street to Sally's house. I knock the door gently as if I hadn't just ran 700 miles per hour.

Sally opens the door and smiles. "Hey, Blue,"

She looks better. Her rashes are almost completely gone, she looks more well kept and energetic, and her cheeks have regained their color and fullness. She doesn't exactly look like the picture of perfect health, but she's getting there.

"Lookin' good, Sal," I say, gifting her my trademark smirk.

"Is that why you came?" Sally asks with an equally wide smirk and a flirtatious look in her eyes. "To flirt with me?"

"What, can't I give you a complement without..." I pause and sigh. "Okay. I was flirting," I pull out her necklace, the one with the cross on it. "but I also came to bring you this,"

Sally takes the artifact from my grasp and weighs it in her hands. "Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid that you lost or broke it,"

I feign an offended recoil. "Sal, when have I _ever? _"

"My headphones," she recounts. "My GameBoy Advance... my grandmother's cremation ashes... I could go on,"

"To be fair, it was Knuckles that thought those ashes were shipped to him for his weekly facial,"

"And you let him watch them,"

I wrap an arm around her Sally's shoulders and guild her outside to the porch rail. "Sal, Sal, can't we get past that?"

"We did," she says. "I just don't entirely trust you with valiable objects. Forgiveness and precaution are best friends,"

"I thought they were enemies,"

"Okay, they're frenemies,"

I duck my hand behind Sally's back and tickle her.

"Ha ha, Sonic!" she giggles as I torment the back of her neck: the only place she's ticklish. "Stop it! Ha ha!"

"Mwa ha ha, time to face my wrath!"

"You horrible, horrible- no! I can't take it, ha ha!"

I finally stop tickling her. As pay back, Sally tugs on one of my quills and yanks backward just enough to throw me for a loop. "Hey!" I yelp in suprise.

"All's fair in love and war," she teases with a sock to my arm. For a moment, her gaze softens into something thoughtful. "Sonic?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you believe in God?"

Now _that _threw me for a loop. Why's Sal suddenly so philosophical? I remember that voice I heard on Calypso's island, but it had to have been my mind... right? But it sounded so real... and it didn't sound like my voice. It sounded quiet but at the same time loud... gentle but sharp... I don't know how to describe it. All I can say is that once I heard it, I knew I had to listen.

So do I believe in God?

"Um..." I muse, stroking my chin. "I'm not entirely sure. I guess I do," Then I proceded to tell Sally about the voice I heard.

When I finish, I can hear the gears in her head turning. "Well, good thing you listened,"

"But what about you?" I inquire. "Do _you _believe in God?"

Sally nods without hesitation and looks up at the light blue sky. "More than anything," She meets my gaze again. "This Sunday, I'm visiting this church. Wanna come?"

Really? A boring old church? "Uh..."

"I promise it won't be old and boring," Sally assures, as if reading my thoughts. Man, she knows me well. "So whaddya say?"

I sigh. "I'll go, but just this once,"

Sally smiles in satisfaction and kisses my cheek. I can feel my muzzle heat up with a blush. "Atta boy,"

My ears prick up, detecting the sound of Tails's... um, tails wipping around. The said kitsune flies into Sally's front yard and lands on his feet.

"Guys!" he says urgently. "Eggman sent a few badniks into Station Square as payback!"

"Oh yeah! Time for some action!" I yell, pumping my fist. "Let's give Eggman a taste of payback!"

"Agreed," Sally chuckles mischievously.

Sally runs down the proch stairs and falls into step nexg to Tails, who is already flying off. I swing my legs over the rail and take off with them.

**The end!**

**Whew, finally. Now I can focus on Sweet Dreams and Sonic Comic Reboot. Currently, I'm taking a hiatus from Chaos Academy but I'll pick it back up for those who enjoy seeing the Triple S as girls (I warned you about genderbendt AUs on my profile). Anyway, as for Sonic hearing God's voice on Calypso's island, while I firmly believe in God I must point out that God doesn't just flat up and talk to you. It's more a nagging feeling on your conscience or through the Bible. But hey, I'm just a teenager so it's not like I'm some theological scholar.**

**Thanks for all the favorites and reviews!**


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